Persona 5 Plus: Between Sea and Stone
by YakFruit
Summary: With the final Enemy defeated, the now retired Phantom Thieves set off on a road-trip to take Ren Amamiya back to his hometown. But when they stop in a small coastal town along the way, they begin to discover that destiny is not finished with them, after all.
1. Chapter 1

Persona 5 Plus: Between Sea and Stone

By YakFruit

Chapter 1

Standing in the sunroof, Ren Amamiya savored the salty wind of the coastal highway, billowing about his unruly black hair. The van rumbled under his feet, easily churning up the kilometers despite its evident age. The voices of his friends murmured under the hissing roar of the passing wind- Ryuji's always-defiant tone, Morgana's nagging-nasal voice responding, Futaba's high-pitched childish voice egging on a now growing argument over something or other between the two.

Ren couldn't quite catch what they were arguing about, but it made him smile nonetheless. The rhythm of it, more than anything, was a balm of warmth after his confinement in juvenile hall not so long ago. It reminded him of this past year, the year of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, a year of seemingly endless adventure, danger, and struggle. At first against villains of their school, then of society, then of human existence itself. The metaphysical epic which culminated in the death of a god.

Ren's smile left his face without him realizing it. His mind was not so much losing the memory of those final days, both three months and a lifetime ago- but his mind was actively retreating from it. A dungeon of human frailty, a hell-on-earth, a battle above the clouds. Stuff of movies and bad manga, surely. But very, very real- the dread of it nearly defeating him and his comrades several times before the end. He could feel it now, shivering under his skin, goosebumps erupting over his body, the echo of a voice in his memory-

"_If you are not going to obey, you shall suffer."_

The warmth of the sun vanished. He shivered and lowered himself back into the van, closing the sunroof. He looked upon his friends- blond Ryuji was leaning over the back of the middle seat, arguing with Morgana the talking cat, who was flanked by a smirking Futaba and a distressed-looking Haru; Yusuke was gazing out over the ocean, for the moment deaf to the world outside his own head; in the front seat, the back of Ann's head was still, but Ren could sense her hackles rising as the ongoing argument began to tax her patience; in the driver's seat, Makoto's face was visible to Ren in the rear-view mirror- she was grimacing like she did when handling troublesome students.

For a brief moment, Ren saw them all as doubled, as if some artist had granted them an extra outline, not quite overlapping the original- they were all of them high-school students, and they were all of them godslayers- dual existences vibrating uneasily against one another, like two magnets being pushed together against their will. Another chill swept through his body, cold sweat erupting from his forehead, and then the feeling, and the illusion of outlines, was gone.

"Shut up, you guys!" Ann Takamaki yelled from the front seat, finally having enough of the backseat bickering.

"You're like children," Makoto added, eyes flashing in the rear-view mirror before returning to the road, then they flashed back to the mirror and met with Ren's gaze. They connected, and Ren saw the sparkle of calculation flash through her crimson irises. It was the look that had stolen his own heart, but he was not happy about it this time when Makoto inevitably said: "Ren, is something wrong?" Always sharp, was Makoto. Attention from everyone shifted to him, even Yusuke emerged from his stupor and turned to look at him.

How had he ever become the center figure of such a group? It was not very long ago when he'd been someone else entirely- a quiet person, preferring to keep to himself. Inexplicably, perhaps due to fate, even inevitably- he'd become surrounded by allies and companions who unflinchingly regarded him as their leader- though until now, the path forward had seemed so locked in place, he was self-consciously unsure if he really led anyone at all. But a confident tone and a neutral facial expression always worked before, so it should work now.

"Yes, I'm fine," he said with a touch of gusto, pasting a confident smile on his face.

Makoto's eyes flashed at him in the mirror again- she clearly did not believe him. But thankfully, Ann Takamaki, the most socially adept member of their group, sensed a time to change the subject. "Haru, I've been wanting to ask: where on earth did you find this car, anyway?"

Heads turned to Haru in the backseat, the most reserved and soft-spoken of the group.

"Do you remember when we were researching things to free Ren? And I had to leave for a week? In January?"

Ann nodded, "Yeah, something with your dad's- I mean- your company?"

Haru ignored the slip. "Yes, well, I was in Vietnam because Okumura Foods is expanding there with a new processing center, and I wanted to see it for myself. And so, one of the businessmen in Hanoi invited us to a party at his home. I guess he wanted to show off his car collection to us, and this van was in the garage. When I saw it, I almost shouted 'Mona!', I was so surprised, honestly."

"Car collection! Must be nice-" said Ryuji.

"Mmhmm, he had lots of things, but I think the man was surprised when I showed so much interest in this van. He called it.. Umm.. Oh, forgive me, I don't remember what he said it was called, it has a weird name. But apparently the design is from France, and they made them for a while after World War II."

"Why was it in Vietnam?" asked Morgana.

"Vietnam was a French colony for a long time," said Makoto from the front seat. "In fact, the movement for independence from the French is what started the war with the United States in nineteen-"

Ryuji groaned loudly. "Finals are over, prez, give us a break."

"You really need to study more, Ryuji, you'll be a third-year soon."

"Haru! Save me, please," cried Ryuji, "- so the car is French, and…"

Haru giggled. "Yes, it's French, and well, after the man saw my excitement and showed me everything about the car, he offered to sell it to me."

"What! How much was it?" asked Ann.

Haru blushed. "Well, I didn't ask, but Mr. Takakura advised me it was a good price and it was clear the man was underselling it because he wanted to secure the contract with Okumura Foods. I've gotten lots of offers kind of like that, but this was the first time I decided to take advantage of it. I had it shipped here and it just arrived a few weeks ago."

Ren watched Haru's face as she spoke, and with the way her eyes moved (just a bit up and off to the right), he knew that Haru knew exactly how much the car cost, and probably how much the shipping cost, too. But thanks to her father' company, she controlled more wealth now than the rest of them were likely to ever possess over the rest of their lives, combined. It was an inequality that seemed to make her uncomfortable, so Haru tried her best not to flaunt her money, and everyone else did their best to ignore it for her sake.

"That's so cool, Haru," said Ann, "I would have missed riding around together like this, since Morgana can't transform anymore!"

"Lady Ann! I was better than this thing!" said Morgana, indignantly.

"You made cuter sounds!" said Futaba, rubbing Morgana's head.

"And while this vehicle seems an elegant machine," offered Yusuke, "It does not match the visual impact you achieved as a bus, Morgana. You were striking!"

"That's- that's right! I was a great bus!"

"My back always hurt, though," said Ryuji, "It was always so bumpy."

"That wasn't my fault! I was driving over subway tracks like the whole time!"

"The toll road is a bit tamer to drive than Mementos," said Makoto.

"But we've been driving foreee-eeeehhh-ver," said Futaba, "Can't we take a break?"

"It's been three hours."

"Exactly! Three hours! I'm bored!"

"I'm hungry," offered Ryuji.

Yusuke cleared his throat. "A cup of tea wouldn't be unwelcome."

Haru blushed. "I need a break, too."

"Well, we are not in a rush. What's the next town, Makoto?" asked Ren.

"Oh, umm.. The signs say it is Matsuzaki. Shall we stop there?"

"Yes, let's."

"Ok. It must be a coastal town, so it might be fun to explore, too."

"An afternoon by the ocean! Sounds perfect! I should have brought my swimsuit!" said Ann.

"And fish! Fresh fish! Maybe we can get sushi!" cried Morgana.

Makoto stopped the van on the edge of a quaint, small-town quay. Local fishing boats bobbed in the harbor, and the beginnings of a small coastal business strip promised to reveal that eclectic mix of local shops and restaurants that summer ocean towns always seemed to have. Beyond the end of the strip, the golden glow of bare sand marked the edge of Japan.

Everyone piled out of the van and stretched.

"Ah, the smell of the air! It's so salty and wonderful" cried out Ann. "Come on, Futaba! Let's go see what kinds of shops are here!" She ran off towards the business strip, blond blobs of hair bouncing in the sun.

"Wha- wait up!" shouted Futaba as she hurried to catch up.

Ren and the others followed at a more leisurely pace.

"Man, what's with them? Acting like we've been in a car all day" said Ryuji, then he sighed and rolled his shoulders, "I guess the sun does feel good though." He head shot up as a new idea crossed his mind. "Hey, you think we can get beer here? I heard that small towns aren't as strict about the drinking age as places in Tokyo are."

Ren had never tasted beer before. That might be interesting. "I wonder…" he said, already planning how he would attempt it. When his friends decided to be adventurous, inevitably, he would be the one to try it first- like when they discovered Kawakami-sensei's side job.

Makoto gave them both a frightening look. "Don't even think about it, you two! It's illegal for minors to drink, and we just got Ren OUT of juvenile detention!"

"I do not feel like a minor these days," said Yusuke.

Haru made an affirming sound. "Hmm, yes, I think I know what you mean."

"Not you too, Haru!" said Makoto.

"I remember you dragging me to bars in the red-light district," said Ren.

Makoto blushed as Yusuke and Haru regarded her with surprise. "That was different, and you know it!" She sighed and looked out over the wharf. "But I know what you are both talking about- I don't feel like a minor, either. And maybe I'm just too used to being a chaperone." She frowned slightly. "Now that I think about it, I don't think I've ever been on a trip as a participant. I've always had to be an authority figure. A student leader. A Council President. Always something other than just… me."

They were all silent as they considered that.

"Have you ever tasted beer, Makoto?" asked Ren.

"No."

"Interesting. Neither have I. Maybe we should broaden our views."

"Ren…" Makoto sounded exasperated, but her voice also had that hint of surrender.

"Aw man, this trip is gonna be awesome," snickered Ryuji.

They caught up with Ann and Futaba at a small clothing store, trying out hats. Big summer hats, wider than their shoulders. A smiling shopkeeper stood nearby, watching closely.

Futaba tried on a large pink monstrosity, she turned to the approaching group with dramatic flair. "What do you think? Would Princess Peach wear a hat like this?"

She received a collection of confused stares.

"Do'ya mean like in Mario?" said Ryuji.

"Yes!"

"Sure, maybe."

"You're useless. I need a nerd. I'll ask Yuuki." She posed for a selfie with her phone.

"Who?"

"Mishima," supplied Ren.

"Mishima! You're on first names with Mishima, Futaba?"

"Apparently, they chat late into the night," said Makoto.

"What?! Our Mishima? Chatting with a girl? Late at night?"

"Jealous of Mishima, Ryuji?" asked Ann, who used one of her modeling glamor turns, blond hair swirling under a broad straw hat, her blue eyes sparkling- every inch the exotic hafu.

"Hell no!" growled Ryuji.

"Sure, you're not. How's your girlfriend?"

"Aw, shut up."

Ann laughed. "Makoto, Haru- come here, I have some I just would love to see on you two."

Makoto and Haru allowed themselves to be drawn into the store. "Oh my, would that even fit in the van?" said Makoto's drifting voice.

The four males- three men and a cat, regarded the clothing store entrance with trepidation.

"Let's get some food, Ren- let the girls have hat fun," said Ryuji.

"Sure," said Ren.

"I too would prefer food over hats," said Yusuke.

"Me too," said Morgana.

"Well, you're also a cat. Hats look ridiculous on cats."

Ren thought anyone else would be making a joke, but Yusuke used such a serious tone, it wasn't exactly clear. Best to cut off any sort of argument however: "Let's go find someplace with fish."

"Yeah!" said Morgana.

They set off down the quiet street, the only visitors of the town today. As they passed the various shops and stores, more than one shopkeeper watched them walk by.

"They all look kinda eager, don't they?" murmured Ryuji.

"A shop needs shoppers! We must be the first of the season," said Morgana.

"But where are the restaurants?"

Yusuke lifted a slender arm to indicate the strip of sand at the end of the road. "If I were to serve food here, I would want my customers to dine before the beauty of the sea."

At the sand, the street took an abrupt sharp turn, narrowed and ran before a few more shops facing the ocean. The one on the end displayed a stylized fried fish on its sign- an obvious destination for their seafood desires. A small veranda featured several chairs under umbrellas, undulating in the sea breeze. Ren's stomach growled at the sight of it.

"Oh! That's the place, for sure!" said Morgana, leading the way.

The shop owner came out to meet them as they approached. "Good afternoon," she said, "Will you kids be having lunch?"

"Yes, thank you," Ren said.

"Will it just be the two of you, or will your friend over there join as well?"

Ren and Ryuji turned to see Yusuke still standing at the turn of the road, holding up his hands in the form of a picture frame and looking through them- bending this way and that way while gazing down the length of the beach and the surrounding cove.

"Yes, he will be joining us, as will some others. Seven in total. Plus our cat- he is loyal and very well behaved, I hope it is not a problem?"

The owner's eyes lit up. ""Seven! Yes! And no, no, the cat is not a bother at all!

"May we all sit outside?"

"Yes, I'll just push these tables together."

"We can help."

"Thank you very much!"

In short order, a collection of tables was clumped together to make room for seven. It took up most of the veranda, but they were the only customers. And it seemed likely the only customers for the rest of the day.

"Can I get anything started for you?"

Ren and Ryuji glanced through the window of the restaurant, searching for the menu items posted on the walls, but the owner said: "I operate by what the fishermen brings in each day, do you favor any particular fish?"

"We will trust your judgement, please showcase your restaurant to us- but if we could start with some tea and sushi? Then when the rest of our friends arrive, we may begin with the cooked fish?"

The owner was taken aback at first, then smiled broadly and bowed. "Yes, of course! Please take your seats, I'll get your tea going immediately."

Ren turned to Ryuji and Morgana, both were gaping at him.

"'Showcase your restaurant to us?'" mimicked Ryuji.

Morgana laughed. "That sounded like Joker ordering, not Ren Amamiya!"

Ren wondered if he had sounded foolish, but it had seemed the easiest way to get a large meal ordered for everyone. He pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. "I simply asked for what I wanted."

"Man, when you are on, you are on. I was worried retirement was going to change you, but I guess not," said Ryuji, flopping down with a sigh into one of the chairs. "That strong, concise way of talking isn't just a persona thing- it's really you, isn't it?"

"Is that a problem?"

"Hell no! I was just thinking that with us disbanding... well- we'd start becoming who we used to be. You know? The kids who thought homework, grades, our parents- you know? Like that stuff was the center of our worlds, like it was who we were."

Ryuji looked at Ren with that troubled, thoughtful look that used to be so often on his face- it was the Ryuji who worried about the honor of his mother, the future of lost friends on the track team, of victims of injustice. Again Ren, for a moment, saw that double-outline on Ryuji- he was both a troubled kid, and Skull, the Phantom Thief warrior, a savior of humanity- for a moment, the vibration of that outline distracted Ren, then it was gone.

"We can never go back to who we were," Ren said, "We all had to change into something stronger than what we used to be."

Ryuji smiled, the light flooding back into his expression, "You still know what to say."

"I'm not sure if that's true for me," said Morgana.

"Morgana, you were made for something huge and you kicked ass at it- what do you have to worry about?" said Ryuji.

Morgana's tail flicked happily. "You're right, Ryuji! Maybe you got smarter, too!"

"Can't you take one nice thing from me without coming back with an insult!"

"Sorry, Ryuji- I can't resist."

"Try harder!"

Ren settled down into a chair next to Ryuji, gazing out over the ocean- enjoying the cool breeze and warm sun. He never used to understand how adults enjoyed such a mundane activity like sitting in the sun- but now, after this last year- he fully understood it. He stretched out his legs and focused his attention on the fact that there was no Palace, no deadline, no do-or-die task to accomplish- the weight of the last year was truly gone, and Ren sank into the luxurious feeling of that weight finally being gone- a lightness of the soul. Ren let his eyes close, losing himself in the feeling of the day.

"Magnificent!" said Yusuke, jerking Ren back into reality. "An absolutely magnificent location. The hills of this cove are beauty beyond description. I'm inspired- I want to capture this landscape forever on canvas. Both the sight of it! And the feel of it!"

The owner returned with a teapot and cups. "The sushi starter will be out soon."

"Yes!" said Morgana.

"Oh my, what a loud meow. It's like it understood what I was saying. Do you want some fish?"

"Yes!"

The owner laughed and returned to his shop.

"The beach is pristine. Not a footprint marring the surface," said Yusuke has he sat down. Ren poured him a cup of tea. "Thank you."

"Yeah," Ryuji surveyed the empty shoreline. "It's kind of creepy, actually. These kinds of places are always on those travel shows- there's always people."

Ren eyed Ryuji as the blond haired young man stared intently over the beach. Ryuji was not the most intellectual member of the old team, but he may be the most intuitive- he could calculate an emotional truth as fast as Makoto could a logical truth. Ryuji was Ren's oldest comrade, and he'd learned early that they could all profit from Ryuji's gut feelings.

Ren's mind began considering the next steps. He could wait for the rest of the team to show up, they could eat, and during a quiet moment in the conversation, he would say something like: 'This town is a bit empty isn't it, Ryuji?; and Ryuji would say something like, 'Yeah, like I said earlier, these kinda places always have people', and then Ann or Haru, the more traveled members, would agree, and then Makoto would start the theorizing, 'Why might that be?', and then everyone would start considering what they could do to investigate. They would be back into the rhythm of action which had forged them into a team capable of shaking the very foundation of human existence.

But the Phantom Thieves were done- the Metaverse was gone with it's foul deity. There was no magical place they could infiltrate to become super heroes with magical powers- and well, they could all probably use mundane weaponry to a frightening degree, but was using those monster-slaying skills on real people a path to venture down? Therein went Goro Akechi into darkness.

The restaurant's door opened with the tinkle of a bell. A large platter of simply prepared sushi was set on the table.

"Wow, perfect timing!" said Ann, taking a chair after sharing greetings with the owner.

Makoto sat down next to Ren with a warm smile.

"No hats?" asked Ren.

"Can you imagine the van with those big things? We wouldn't even be able to see out the windows," Makoto said.

"I felt a little bad about it," said Haru, "When we left without buying anything, the shopkeeper looked devastated. I think her business might be going poorly."

The group went quiet to consider this observation. Already! This was the moment, Ren could sense it. With the right sentence, he could steer the path of them all. His eyes flicked over these people, his friends- no. They were more than friends. Friends shared interests. Activites. Jokes. They all shared countless moments on a knife's edge, with the arms of one another all that held them back from the brink. And all their arms linked together holding up the world when all the rest of humanity had joined with the enemy.

It was an iron bond that would keep them all together for life, even if they physically separated over the flow of life. Those double-outlines vibrated before him again. Joker realized he was suddenly brimming with the desire to take action, to seize his own justice and hammer it down upon something which deserved it. His own hand's outline was vibrating, too. Ren Amamiya hesitated, stepped back mentally as the presence of Arsene hovered vaguely on the edge of his consciousness before fading away.

A Palace was born from powerful, twisted desire- a trap which captured the soul of the owner, captured their will and transformed them into the opposite of what they had previously intended to be. If he were not careful, might he accidently lead these companions of his into that very same trap? Unable to forget their brief lives as Phantom Thieves? Forever obsessed with the power which once was theirs- their futures corrupted by the desire, the need to be heroes working to their own agenda- damn the people and their laws- the Phantom Thieves would save them from themselves, whether they liked it or not!

That voice again echoed in his memory, deep and horrible.: "_If you continue to reject that order, there will no longer be a place for you in this world!"_

Ren felt the goosebumps go over his body again. What was the right path?

"Ren, are you okay?" said a soft voice.

He turned his head to see Makoto looking intently at him.

Makoto leaned towards him. "Ren, what is it?"

Her sharp features were wrinkled with worry, her reddish eyes searching his for information. She was strong, fierce, gentle, honorable, compassionate- and then in a flash, her eyes were gold, her expression of worry transformed into one of sadistic delight, a shadow Makoto, more beautifully terrible than the shadow form of her sister had ever been. Ren shuddered and blinked, and the vision was gone. It was what could one day be; they could all have gold eyes one day, if they were not careful- as corrupt and self-assured as anyone they ever stole a heart from. As vile and evil.

Ren would rather die than see such a future. He resolved to not say the sentence which would lead the team down the path of investigation. This trip was to remind them of who they were in this world, remind them that they are just normal people like everyone else.

"It's nothing," he said loudly, gathering everyone's attention to him, "Just a chilly breeze surprising me. Must be the early season. Must be why we're the only ones here today."

Makoto's frown remained, her eyes still searching his face.

"Yeah, if the sun wasn't out, this wind would make me wanna eat inside," said Ryuji.

"Speaking of eating!," shouted Morgana, "I call dibs on all the fatty tuna!"

"Yeah, right!" challenged Futaba.

Makoto leaned in towards him again. "You're going to tell me the truth tonight," she whispered in that tone- the Queen had spoken, and one disobeyed at their own peril.

"That reminds me," said Yusuke, sipping tea dramatically as attention shifted to him, "is this the trip wherein you two are going to tell us that you both are dating?"

Ren blinked. Makoto blushed.

"Oh, come on!" laughed Ann, "We've known since last year!"

Makoto blushed deeper. "What? It was that obvious?"

"Oh my, yes," said Haru.

"You guys were trying to keep it secret?" asked Futaba around a mouth of sushi.

"Morgana!" said Makoto.

"I didn't say anything!"

"He didn't tell us anything," mumbled Ryuji, mouth also full, "You guys always stand so close to each other."

Ann nodded. "And remember when we met Futaba? Makoto grabbed onto Ren for dear life!"

"Oh yeah, I remember that," said Ryuji, laughing out a few grains of rice. "I still don't get why you both were scared, it was just lightning and we were in Boss's house."

"And one time in Leblanc's," said Haru with a smile, "Ren said he wanted to get married someday- and Makoto reacted so strongly!"

"Oh right, I almost forgot about that," said Ann. She leaned forward and put on an intense face. Then it burst into surprise and she acted like she was pushing short hair behind one ear. "Re-.. really?" she said, in a fair approximation of Makoto's voice.

"I didn't notice that clue," said Yusuke.

"That's not a huge surprise, Yusuke," said Ann.

Makoto was blushing heavily, her hands balled into tight fists and pressed into her thighs. Ren knew it was more because she was realizing she was a failure at subterfuge than because their relationship was public knowledge. But it was a little of that, too. He reached over and took one of those balled fists into his hands.

"We were going to tell them, anyway," he said.

She smiled and nodded, shoulders relaxing slightly.

"You're so red!" said Haru, "You poor thing! We are all happy for you two!"

Ann, Futaba, and Yusuke nodded. Morgana simply sat smiling- he had long been their confidant.

"Just don't break up badly and make everything awkward for us," said Ryuji.

"Do you remember when you followed me all over Tokyo when you were investigating the Phantom Thieves?" asked Ren.

Makoto's blushes vanished into a laugh. "Perhaps stealth isn't a talent of mine."

The bell on the door went tinkle-tinkle. The first of the fish had arrived. Ren smiled and moved the tea to make room for the first two platters. His friends were laughing and chatting amongst themselves in eager excitement. At least now, for this meal, they could be normal high-schoolers on a well-deserved vacation.

End Chapter 1

_((Author's Note: Portions of this story will be censored or altered to meet content guidelines of this website in regards to mature content. The full version of the story, the Director's Cut, if you will, will be simultaneously maintained on AO3. __The differences are not major or essential to the plot, but this is a story of young adults, life-or-death conflicts, and natural reproductive urges- all of which influence the characters and their reactions. _

_The characters of Persona 5 have experiences and a mental maturity which lends them to acting and behaving as adults- as adults more mature and admirable than many real world adults ever manage in their lifetimes The characters will encounter adult situations at certain points in the story. If you want to avoid reading that sort of thing, then this version of the story you are reading right now is where you want to be. The other version is on AO3._

_In short, in the video game, if you went on a date with someone and brought them to your room, the screen would then go black and time would pass. This story is like that- the screen will go dark and time will pass. AO3 has the other version.))_


	2. Chapter 2

Before they realized it, the sun was setting into the ocean to the west. Platters of fish and shellfish had come and gone. Contented faces, drowsy with food, gazed about- conversation lagged. Some phones came out. Some eyes closed. It was time to go. Ren stood, drawing attention to himself- but it drifted away as he moved away from the table. It was not a night for a speech or a toast, and he really wasn't that kind of leader, anyway.

"Futaba, can you join me?"

"Sure."

Futaba followed him into the restaurant where the owner waited with the final bill. It was sizable, but one of the strange realities of their adventures in the Metaverse- he had received yen for each of their victories in an online wallet. The team had unanimously given charge of it solely to him, so he used it solely for team expenses. The account was fat, but this meal was a respectable chunk out of it. He put down his payment card, which the owner accepted with a bow.

"It doesn't look like we are going anywhere tonight. Can you find us a bed and breakfast online, Futaba? Someplace we can all walk to from here? With enough rooms for everyone?"

Everyone was supposed to bring enough money to manage their own lodging, in whatever ways they wished- so the team account should manage to feed them all for quite a while.

"No problemo!" She took out her phone and set to work while they waited. After a few moments, she held out her phone for him to look. "This place looks good. It's only a five minute walk." The photos showed spartan, but clean and classic Japanese-style tatami rooms. The prices looked more than fair.

"Perfect," said Ren.

The bill paid, they rejoined the others- most of them standing behind their chairs, ready to move on. The owner followed Ren and Futaba outside, everyone bowed and thanked him for the meal and service.

"Futuaba found us a bed and breakfast just a short walk from here," Ren announced, "Japanese-style rooms and fair prices. Shall we stay in this town tonight? Drop off our things, and do as we wish until tomorrow?"

Heads swiveled back and forth, checking each other for reactions. There seemed no objections. So they followed Futaba, ever the navigator, out into the evening. After agreeing to leave the van where it was parked, they gathered their things and headed inland, leaving the desolate beach strip behind. Soon they were on what seemed to be a major street of the town- people populated the restaurants, and a reasonable amount of foot and auto traffic passed back and forth. The isolation of the coastal area was not to be found here.

"There are people here! Why isn't anyone eating at the fish place? It was delicious!" Ann wondered aloud as they walked.

There it was again- the thread that seemed eager to be tugged. Ren chose to ignore it, holding to his earlier decision. Tomorrow they would be driving away from this place, forever.

They turned a corner onto a quieter, narrow side street. But it was cheerfully lit by ample streetlights in the growing dark of dusk.. "That's the place, way down there on the end!" Futaba said, pointing.

Haru also pointed. "Oh, there is a tiny theater right here, too! Look at those classic lights, just like in the movies of old Japan!"

"I hope it's some cool hollywood films! That sounds like just the thing for tonight," said Ryuji.

"I think these kinds of places only have one screen," said Ann.

"So like- only one movie?"

"Yes, and usually an old one, because they are cheaper to get rights for," said Haru.

"Oh, maybe a Godzilla film? That wouldn't be bad."

They drew closer to the theater, destined to pass it on the opposite side of the street as they headed for their hotel.

"Oh!" gasped Makoto, "They are showing Yojimbo! Can you imagine seeing it on the big screen?"

"Yo-jim..? What?" said Ryuji.

"Yojimbo! It's one of the quintessential Kurosawa films! It's about a ronin who plays two yakuza gangs against each other to save a town. It's really a wonderful work- both a classic samurai film AND a classic yakuza film!"

"I'm surprised that's your kind of movie, Makoto," said Ann.

Ren and Makoto had discovered a shared interest in Yakuza movies back in the early summer. So this excitement was no surprise to him, but it seemed Makoto hadn't invited anyone else to a yakuza film. Just Ren.

Ryuji yawned. "Sounds boring."

"I'll go with you. Sounds interesting," said Ren.

Makoto turned and briefly showed a rare, full-toothed smile at him, then twirled back around with a slight skip in her step, short-skirt swirling above her habitual leggings.

"What was that, Makoto?" exclaimed Ann, "That was amazing! I know professional models who practice moves like that for hours and never look that good."

"I think that's the first time I've seen you smile like that," said Haru.

Makoto blushed and her head sank a little, but then it popped back up in defiance. "We won! We're safe! I'm surrounded by close friends on a vacation trip! And I'm going to see Yojimbo! In a theater! With my boyfriend!" said Makoto, just a twinge of the Queen shading the edge of her tone, "Anyone would smile. Anyone should smile!"

"That's the spirit!" said Morgana.

Ren felt firm grasps on both his shoulders. Ryuji and Yusuke had him firmly gripped between them and slowed him down- the girls and Morgana pulled ahead.

"How did you get Makoto to look at you like that?" hissed Ryuji.

"Share your techniques," whispered Yusuke.

"I just talked with her, and we became close. That's all," said Ren.

"That's no help!" said Yusuke.

"You are always talking with beautiful girls! Ann. Haru. That doctor! Doctor… uhh… Doctor legs! Even Kawakami-sensei!" said Ryuji,

"The fortune teller in Shinjuku. And Hifumi Togo, the shogi idol!" said Yusuke.

"None of those girls look at me like Makoto does! We're friends. We talk and share things like you both do with me. But with Makoto, something just… sparked."

"You could make all of those ladies look that way at you- if you wanted to- and you know it!" Ryuji hissed in frustration. " You always know what to say! How do you do that?"

"Yes, tell us," said Yusuke.

"Enough!" Ren shoved off their arms. "You're letting your desires control you! You're both heroic, strong men. All you have to do is talk to people, get to know them, be yourself, and if it's the right person, it will just happen!" He picked up his pace and left them behind.

"Well, he's mad," said Ryuji.

"Yes," said Yusuke.

"Why won't he help us? Just a line or two, that's all we need."

"I've read that the naturally talented can be the worst teachers, because they themselves do not understand how they do what they do."

"Ohh, that must be it," Ryuji frowned, deep in thought, " But maybe we should try what he said… just talk to girls," He suddenly clenched his fist, "I have an idea! Come on, Yusuke!"

They hurried to catch up with the others.

"Morgana!" called out Ryuji.

"Huh?" said the cat, stopping to look back at Ryuji. The entire friends group stopped with him.

"Hang out with me and Yusuke tonight!"

"What! You want to hang out with me?" said Morgana, surprised and sounding pleased.

"Yes. Yusuke and I are going to go to a cafe and have conversations with girls," Ryuji said with dramatic flair.

Exasperated looks crossed the faces of Ann, Haru, Makoto, and Futaba- but Ryuji plowed on.

"No, see. Look. We're men. Men should have girlfriends. And men get girlfriends by meeting girls and talking to them," Ryuji winked at Ren. Ren rolled his eyes but was surprised Ryuji was actually acting on his advice. He decided to remain silent and see where this went.

"Is this real life?" mumbled Futaba, "Is this conversation really happening?"

Ryuji ignored her. "Yusuke and me just look like high school kids, but inside, we are Skull and Fox! Ladies would love Skull and Fox. But unless the girls want to talk to us, they will never discover we have Skull and Fox right here," Ryuji thumped his chest.

"So, we are going to sit in a trendy place- Yusuke is going to be sketching and looking artsy-"

"Sketching? Sketching what?" said Yusuke.

"I don't know. Whatever you want!"

"I need to be inspired."

"Dude! The sketch isn't the point! The point is that you are sketching! And girls will be curious about that."

"I sketch all the time in public places. I never talk to girls."

"Yeah, but they come up to you and ask you what you are doing, right?"

Yusuke frowned. "Yes, they do! It's very annoying. I tell them to go away and-" Yusuke's face brightened with a sudden enlightenment. "Oh!"

"Yeah, 'Oh!' is right. Are you on-board with me now?"

"Yes."

"Anyway, Yusuke is going to look artsy. I'm going to look edgy. And we will have Morgana, the key member, adding the final allure to our odd but interesting party!"

"I would be the key member?" Morgana asked, tail moving in a way that indicated he was being drawn in by this plan.

"Hell yeah! Girls love cute animals, they will come talk to us for sure."

"What! You want to use me as bait!?"

"Don't you want to be stroked all over by pretty ladies?"

"Well…" Morgana's tail flicked a few times. He was obviously very interested in that.

"And we will buy you snacks."

"OK! Let's do it!"

Ann was scowling at Ryuji.

Ryuji frowned back at her. "Yeah, what Ann? Got something to say?"

"I don't know. My instinct was to call you a pervert or something, but that's actually a pretty good idea for meeting girls, Ryuji. I'm impressed."

"You would have drawn me in for a conversation with that tactic," laughed Haru.

Makoto and Futaba's eyes were following the conversation, but neither had anything to add.

"Well-!" said Ann, finally, shrugging her arms and restarting their walk towards the hotel, "If the lovebirds are seeing a movie, and the boys are going to attract women, what should we do ladies, any idea?" She gathered Haru and Futaba under each arm.

"What if we get a massage? My treat," suggested Haru.

"Ohh, that sounds amazing! That's a great idea, Haru!"

"A massage?" said Futaba, a little uneasily.

"You'll love it, Futaba! We'll be like classy women on the town for a girls night!"

"Oh- okay.."

The group arrived at the hotel and separated at the front door. Rena and Makoto secured a room for themselves, dropped their things, and immediately left for the theater. The showing time was almost upon them. They left the rest of the group to their own evening plans.

Ren found the movie excellent, and Makoto was entranced. She held his hand the entire time, fist tightening around his during tense moments of the story. They chatted about the film during the short walk back to the hotel and both resolved to bathe, separating to each gender's shared bathroom.

Ren took a detour on the way back from the bathing room. The hotel had a sort of commissary behind the front counter- a small cooler, some snacks- things a guest might want after shops closed for the night. Ren approached, donning the mystique of Joker.

"Two bottles of Kirin, please," he said to the concierge. The woman looked at him sleepily. Joker stared back at her.

"1200 yen." She said, as she turned to take the beer bottles out of the cooler.

"Yes."

He returned to the room. Makoto was already there, wearing the hotel's provided yukata. She was kneeling seiza-style on one of the futons and combing her damp hair. Her eyes met with his and they shared a smile.

"I have something for us," he said, closing the door.

"Oh?" Makoto put her comb back in her travel bag. Then she suddenly froze in suspicion. "You didn't!"

Ren grinned sheepishly and revealed the two bottles of beer, moist from condensation in the warm night air.

Makoto looked at them seriously. "How did you get them?"

Ren kneeled down next to her on the futon, handing her a bottle to examine. "I just asked for them and the hotel sold them to me."

"They didn't ask for identification?"

"No. I acted like Joker. I don't think the possibility I was a minor even crossed her mind."

Makoto was reading the label. "Yes, well, when you are in Joker-mode, you are something else…" she murmured.

Ren waited for her to finish her research.

When she finished reading, she sniffed sharply. "I guess it is just one bottle. Just to broaden our views, right?"

"Right."

They clinked the bottles together and twisted off the caps.

"The smell is- unique," she observed.

"Yeah."

They both took a drink. Ren was startled by the flavor. He'd always assumed beer was a sweet beverage- why else would adults drink so much of it? But in reality it was bitter, almost to the point of being slightly salty- and as the carbonation fizzled through his mouth, the flavor spread and changed in odd ways.

"Ehx!" said Ren.

"Ugch!" said Makoto, grimacing. "That's not at all what I was expecting."

"Me either." Ren moved his tongue around his mouth in an effort to wipe away the lingering fizz feeling.

Makoto looked at the bottle again with disdain. "Sorry, I think I'm done with this."

"Me too."

Makoto handed back the bottle. Ren stood and placed them out of the way on the room's tea tray. Makoto started laughing softly.

"What is it?" asked Ren, smiling.

"Us! Here we are, on a trip, going to a movie, coming back to our room, just the two of us. It's surreal! It's like what 30 year olds on TV do! Then we try beer and don't like it. Which is like what curious children on TV do! It's funny when you think about it!"

Ren started to laugh, then stopped as what Makoto said really hit him.

Makoto stopped laughing too. "What is it?"

He looked directly at her. Their eyes connected. The flash of calculation crossed Makoto's eyes.

After a moment, he said: "It's like we are two different things at once."

Makoto considered that for moment. "That is what you felt earlier today isn't it? In the van. At the restaurant."

"Yes!" Ren kneeled down into seiza style in front of her. They shared a long serious look while Ren gathered his thoughts. How to explain it?

"I heard It's voice. Well, the memory of It's voice. In my head."

Makoto's serious expression frowned deeply. She knew what voice he was talking about.

"And when I looked at us. At you. I saw- double. Not like in cartoons when someone is drunk or hit on the head or something. But like.. like…two identical pictures stacked on top of each other, but just a little off, so the borders and details are not exactly aligned. And I felt like we are all that way. What we've done. What we've seen! It's like we're all Kintaro, from the stories, but living in real Japan, going to real school, and we're in the bodies of minors!"

He paused. Wondering if he should share the more serious fear. Makoto was still looking at him intently. Sharp, serious, beautiful features focused entirely on him. Ren suddenly was not just Ren, he was also Joker, and Joker hesitated as he looked upon Queen. Queen was a comrade, but also a subordinate. A leader did not reveal everything to subordinates, especially fears, doubts- things which could potentially shake the faith of the hierarchy, or plant seeds of fear and doubts which might eventually blossom in the minds of the subordinate during dangerous moments.

But as Ren was Joker and Ren, she was Queen and Makoto, and Ren suddenly realized his life would be almost empty, if for whatever reason, Makoto wasn't there with him. The whole time. The whole way. He wanted to be with Makoto, like this. She was his partner. She understood. She lead the troops in the campaign to free him from imprisonment, after all.

"But that was only half of it," Ren said. "I also had a vision. Of you. Of a shadow you. Like your sister in her Palace. If the desire for success could corrupt her from the path of justice, could not our desires... to be powerful- to be the Phantom Thieves again! Could it corrupt us? Your sister didn't notice it happening. So neither would we! We already have the attention of the police. Vigilantism is illegal, and if we disregard that law as stupid, will we stop at the next? How long before every law is stupid? Except our own law, our own justice, which we impose on everyone else. And then what are we then? What would we be? Heroes? I don't think so."

Makoto's brow furrowed as she considered his words. Then she said,"You mean like how you just purchased beer illegally?"

Ren blinked. She was absolutely right. "Yes! Exactly like that! I did it because I could. I didn't even think about it."

Makoto's thoughtful look continued. Then she said, "I think we have two things my sister lacked, which may have prevented her corruption. First, we've really lost our power- she didn't. Even if we were tempted to move down a self-righteous path of justice, outside the law, with fist, gun, and magic spell- we can't. We really did lose our powers, and we can't go attacking people in the street like some gang. We are just normal people now, for all intents and purposes, so there is no means by which we can bring any desire like that to fruition."

"And second, even if we were still Phantom Thieves..." her eyes flashed. A look of determination crossed her face. Then she stood, just a little awkwardly shuffled over to Ren, and returned to seiza style next to him, leaning her head on his shoulder. "We have each other, Ren. We can see each other, all of us, our whole group, in ways no one else can. I wasn't awake enough at the time to save my sister, but I'm awake now. We all are. And none of us would let another one of us slip so far into the dark as that."

She was right. Absolutely right. Ren and Joker were comforted, and suddenly very aware that a beautiful women in a robe was leaning against him. He turned his body slightly, cupped the side of Makoto's face, and kissed her deeply. She returned it earnestly.

A knocking at the door froze them in their embrace.

They both groaned in frustration.

"Ah, who could it be?" sighed Makoto.

"I think I know who it might be," Ren half-snarled.

The knocking came again.

With an unconscious grunt of rage, Ren strode to the door, promising himself he would kill Yusuke for this. Murder him. It would be bloody! He flung open the sliding door.

Futaba stood sheepishly in the hall, fresh tears on her cheeks. Looking much again like the phobic, shut-in, little girl that Futaba had been when they first met her. The rage which had suddenly surged in Ren's body vanished in an instant.

"I-I-I'm really s-s-sorry, Ren- but I've never been away overnight before,"

"Of course," said Ren, remembering his promise to stay by her and to be there when she was in trouble. "Come in."

"Futaba?!" Makoto rushed over and embraced Futaba in a warm hug. "Oh, I'm sorry Futaba! You've come so far, we forgot how many new things this trip might mean for you! Come in. Stay the night with us, there are plenty of futons."

"O- okay," she sniffled.

"I'll make some tea," Makoto said.

"Mmm!"

"How was your massage?"

"Ok, I guess."

Ren began closing the door, but a loud thump in the hall caused him to open it again. Yusuke stood in the doorway, a large luggage case near his feet.

"Ah, Ren. I could not afford a room, so I came to stay with you and Makoto tonight."

Ren stared at him for a moment, but his testosterone fueled anger was already gone.

"Where's Ryuji and Morgana?"

"Ryuji's plan was successful. He is on a date with a girl. Morgana said he wanted to get 'a cat's perspective' of this town."

"What about you. Were you successful?"

"No. And my sketch was ruined. A girl vandalized it with a phone number."

"A girl wrote her phone number on your sketch? Do you still have the sketch?"

"Of course."

"So you have a girl's phone number."

"Yes, but-" Yusuke's face brightened into his second epiphany of the night. "Oh! Oh, I see."

Ren sighed, but opened the door wide to allow Yusuke in.

"Make sure to thank Futaba for saving your life tonight," Ren whispered as Yusuke dragged his luggage into the room.

"What?"


	3. Chapter 3

Ren awoke in the pre-dawn grey. Soft light filtered in through the drapes, landing upon the sleeping faces of Makoto and Futaba, curled up together in the futon before him. Ren felt a deep sense of contentment at the sight, and let his eyes travel the features of Makoto's face- he was in no rush to wake anyone.

Then a wayward arm fell over his shoulder and he felt his own futon partner curling as Yusuke woke up. "What time is it?" Yusuke murmured.

Ren sighed and looked at his phone, "5:13 a.m."

Yusuke abruptly leapt to his feet. "All right!" he shouted.

Ren's body jerked in startlement. Makoto and Futaba sprung awake with surprised screams.

Yusuke looked around at three groggy, angry faces. "Oh, my apologizes. I was overtaken with excitement."

Futaba collapsed back into the futon.

Makoto sat up, shoulders scrunched, rubbing an eye. "Excite-mert?"

"Yes! Sunrise is just before 6 a.m. It is time to paint the cove in the perfect morning light! And a steaming cup of tea in the brisk pre-dawn sea air! You'll all join me, yes?"

Makoto looked at Ren with bleary eyes. He understood. "Makoto, someone needs to stay with Futaba. Would you do me the favor?"

"Of course," she mumbled, and collapsed back into bed alongside Futaba.

Yusuke was already sliding into his shoes next to the door, his luggage in hand. "Ren, hurry! The sun waits for no man!"

"Yes, I'm coming."

"You're so slow and groggy. Did you not get enough sleep?"

Ren was starting to sweat by the time they arrived back at the fish restaurant where they spent the previous afternoon. Yusuke moved quickly like he was on a mission, and without a pause, opened his luggage and began assembling an easel. A small stack of canvas squares and a neat set of paints and brushes were also in the bag. It was a portable painting studio.

The dim light of early morning was grey and heavy on the sea and the beach, but it was darker over the ocean than it was over the buildings and trees behind them.

"Isn't that the west, Yusuke? The sunrise is the other way."

"Yes, of course," said Yusuke, "That's precisely why I am here. The light, the colors, will be reversed! A unique perspective! The water, the sand, those hills, those rocks- all of the, will transform in entirely unique ways as the sun rises behind us. The lighting will be superb! The light of Japan shining upon the dark ocean! Ah, I can almost see it already. I'll need to prepare more blues and purples, I think."

Ren had traveled Tokyo with Yusuke, seeking his muse, and had seen him worked up into emotional frenzies before, but this one might be the most intense he'd yet seen. Perhaps the end of their careers as Phantom Thieves was freeing Yusuke from some latent stress which had inhibited his creative spark- like the manga fighter hero shedding their weighted clothing.

A light flickered on in the restaurant behind them. The owner was up early as well, likely for the catch of the day. Ren went inside and ordered some tea from the surprised woman, then returned to the table, zipped up his light coat against the morning chill, and surveyed the coast while Yusuke obsessed over his paint mixtures.

The tide was in, but appeared to be on its way out. A narrow strip of dark wet sand remained mostly above the waterline as calm waves rippled in from the sea. Lights of fishing boats sparkled out in the purple dark of the horizon, likely enroute to unload their nightly catch. Three figures were wading into the shallow water down the beach, buckets in hand. Clammers, it seemed.

The tea arrived. Ren poured them both a cup. Satisfied with his preparations, Yusuke seated himself in front of his tea cup and sipped- sighing in satisfaction.

"Thank you for coming, Ren. I can't explain it, but I felt the need to be here this morning. It was as if this place called to me." he said, "I realize now that most people would not want to get out bed this early, but I'm happy you came. "

Ren was enjoying the calm silence of the morning, the cold salt smell of the sea, the chill, still air in contrast with the hot steam wafting from his mug of tea. "I'm happy I did, too. The feel of a morning like this is something that can be savored."

Yusuke closed his eyes and smiled. After a time, he finally said, "Savor. An excellent word. Yes. I agree. Being happy with life is certainly tied to one's ability to savor."

"Moments like this?"

"Of course," Yusuke sipped his tea. "I savor the memories of this year. I can even savor the hardships, the fear, the dread- because in memory, they are gone and past, and not currently experiencing such things makes the present even sweeter."

"I know exactly what you mean. I felt that yesterday afternoon. Exactly that."

Yusuke made an affirmative grunting sound. They sat in silence for a time. Savoring. The morning. The tea. Their camaraderie. Both in this exact moment, and in the past.

"I think, too- of that day when we first met. I was in darkness then. Lost. And then I saw Ann's hair shining in the sun- so bright in the dark, I reached for it, and that's when I met you and Ryuji. Both of you probably thinking I was some pervert. But it was the most fortunate meeting of my life. From that moment on, my life became brighter."

He stood, turned and looked out over the dark waters.

'Even in the depths of Mementos, when we stood before that foul cup, I- I-" he flung his hands out into the air, "I was blazing like the sun! Omnidirectional! It was impossible for shadows to hide from me! From us! We vaporized all! Like- like- like a desert sun after the rain!"

His hands sunk slowly to his side. "Such glory…" He remained facing away from Ren, head drooping. "I want to make a confession to you, Ren."

"A confession?"

"Yes. I worry- I worry that the zenith of my life is now behind me. That anything I do from now on will be but a pale imitation of what I was in those final moments. What we all were Then! Above the clouds! I'll never again be that glorious, so- so what's the point? Of living. Of anything?" He turned, and Ren could make out the dark stains of tears on Yusuke's face. Fox stared at him with a guilty, devastated expression. "Am I not pathetic?! Crippled by this vain thought! But I can't shake it!... I can't…. It's like my life is already over!" Yusuke fought to hold back wracking sobs.

Ren saw the outlines appear around Yusuke again, but they seemed even more out of alignment than yesterday. They wavered alarmingly as a new set of sobs shook across Yusuke's shoulders. Ren looked away in respect of another man's tears, and to avoid watching the strange lines.

So he was not the only one thinking about this. Yusuke, too, was struggling with their victory. Ren was filled with the need to help his friend, but he had to pick exactly the right thing. What was it? And then, it struck him:

"Yusuke, has the glory of 'Sayuri' diminished simply because time has passed since your mother painted it?"

"Of course not. Don't be redicu-" Yusuke froze as what Ren said sank into him. "Oh!" His face transformed almost immediately, becoming again the Yusuke who Ren knew best. Yusuke wiped his face. "Oh, I see. Yes. Exactly. That's exactly right, Ren Amamiya."

Yusuke laughed suddenly, wiping the last of the tears away. Ren could not see the outlines any longer, but he was unsure if that meant anything. Still, Yusuke appeared to be recovering rapidly.

"You truly are a wonder, Ren. With so few words…"

"No, it's just the advantage of being on the outside looking in."

"I doubt that. There is a light to you, Ren, that-" Yusuke's eyes glanced to the sky behind Ren's head. "The light! It's time! It's perfect!" He shot to his feet, took up his pallett and set to work, crisis forgotten. He used a big brush first to lay down a muted background layer, greyish purple, with hints of blue and pink- his arm making grandiose, confident motions.

Ren watched Yusuke work for a time, then let his eyes wander over the morning beach again. The rising sun, still hidden behind them, was rapidly brightening the sky- the lightness of dawn permeating the landscape in a way that could not be seen directly, but still consciously noticed. Ren noted the clammers had approached up the beach, the three figures now appearing to be children. The tide was beginning to turn in earnest now, each little wave a bit shallower than the last.

Then, slowly, the water began to brighten as well, mirroring the sky. "Yes! Yes this is it! And with the children clamming! Oh! What a perfect addition!" mumbled Yusuke.

Ren checked his phone. There was a message from Sojiro asking about Futaba. Boss was an early bird.

"Yes, good children. Look for clams just there. Perfect."

Ren texted back that Futaba stayed with Makoto last night and was fine. Then he opened a news app and browsed the headlines. No mention of Phantom Thieves. That was a blessing. Never again, he hoped.

"No, don't move child. Don't ruin the pose just yet. Wait. There are only two of them now? Where…?"

Ren started a text to Makoto. ((Yusuke and I are at the fish place again. He is-))

"The child!" shouted Yusuke, throwing down his palette. It clattered against the stone veranda, splashing wet paint. Ren jumped out of his chair in startlement, his phone clattering from his hands, forgotten. Yusuke was already leaping over the rail of the veranda. Then he sprinted across the sand towards the sea.

Ren's gaze advanced past Yusuke's running form. There were indeed only two figures standing with clam buckets. They were waving their arms and facing towards the sea. Then Ren saw it. The third child was struggling in deep water. The tide was taking the kid out to sea! Ren leapt the railing and followed Yusuke as fast as he could.

Yusuke was tall and lanky, his legs ate up the small beach quickly- but the child was already far out in deeper and darker water. They were going to have to swim. Could the child stay afloat that long?

Then Yusuke yelled: "Susano-o! Bufula!"

A misty ghost of a blue-horned warrior flickered behind Yusuke, there and then not, like an old antenna television image. Ren trotted to a stop in astonishment. A persona! Yusuke summoned his persona! In the real world!

The blue figure raised an arm, and a streak of white mist shot forth out along the surface of the sea, freezing a long line of the water instantly, and also solidifying around the distant, struggling swimmer. Without breaking stride, Yusuke sprinted past the two other astonished children and out over the new ice bridge.

Ren came back to his senses and started running again. He passed the children, reached the ice, and slipped immediately, falling, his head narrowly missing the hard surface and instead splashing him into the shallow water. He regained his feet quickly, and tried once more, but his feet slid immediately and he almost fell again. Ren could not traverse this ice, but Yusuke ran atop it like it was a sidewalk. He was almost to the drowning child.

Ren couldn't help out there, so he turned back to the other children. "Hey, do you know that kid's parents?"

The kids' wide eyes and gaping mouths rotated to focus on Ren. Neither said anything. They were in shock.

"HEY!" Ren kicked sand and seawater at them. The kids yelped and shied away from the flying sand, but their eyes were clear when they looked back at him. "Do you know that kid's parents? Their phone number?"

"Ye- yeah," one of them said.

"Good. Go up to the fish restaurant there and ask to use the phone to call them, okay?"

"Okay."

"Go then! Go call the parents."

They obeyed- turning to sprint up to the restaurant, clam buckets forgotten.

Ren turned back to see Yusuke lifting the child from the water- the small figure clutching to him desperately. Yusuke turned and walked calmly back down the ice bridge- it was already beginning to melt and fade away. It separated into pieces as Yusuke took the final step back onto the beach. The child was crying and coughing, still clutching frantically to Yusuke's shoulders.

Ren and Yusuke shared a long look.

"I think we need to call a meeting, Joker."

"Yes." Ren stared at Yusuke- something nagging at his mind. Then it hit him. "Yusuke, you need to swim. Get your clothing wet."

"What?

"How can you rescue a drowning child and still have dry clothing?"

"Because I ran on top of-... Oh…" He leaned his head to look at the face of the rescued child. "Young sir, I need to hand you over to my friend, okay?"

The child sniffled. "Ok." And he allowed himself to be transferred into Ren's arms.

While Yusuke submerged himself in the water briefly, Ren look at the child. "Can you do us a favor? Can you convince your friends to just tell everyone that Yusuke swam to save you. No ice?"

"Umm.. ok," The child's eyes were clearing. There was a spark of awareness there.

Yusuke stood out of the shallow water, shivering. "Cold" he said, and then they walked back up the beach. Yusuke's normally precise hair dripping and disheveled.

Yusuke suddenly stopped in his tracks and cursed. "I'm a fool," he said with lament.

"What?"

"My phone is in my pocket." He pulled out a cell phone from his wet pants- its screen was very black.

"Oh."

Above them, a cat jumped up onto the railing of the restaurant veranda. A black cat.

'What happened?!" asked Morgana.

"Did you see it?" asked Ren.

"See it? I just got here and recognized Yusuke's painting gear. See what?"

"Yusuke summoned his persona."

"What! Impossible! The Metaverse is gone! And this is the real world!"

"I know! But it happened. And you're a talking cat! Maybe we need to rethink what might be impossible or not."

The bell of the restaurant door rang as the owner came out. "What happened? There are two hysterical children using my phone."

"This one was dragged out by the tide," said Ren, setting the child down into a restaurant chair. "My friend rescued him. Do you have any towels?"

"Oh my, it's little Akasuki Nakamura. I know his parents. Yes, I have some towels. Just a moment." She went back into the store. Ren saw her take possession of the phone from the kids and provide presumably more precise and concise information to the likely panicking parents on the other end. She hung up and went through a door into the back of the shop.

The children ran back out of the store. "Akasuki! Are you OK?" one said.

"Yes. Don't tell anyone about this, ok? Promise? I'll get in trouble because I went out too far" said Akasuki to his friends.

"Ok…" they both said. "We promise."

This kid was sharp. He was already working to secure his promise to Ren.

The owner returned with towels- one for Akasuki and one for Yusuke. They shivered into them gratefully. She also left and returned with more tea. Meanwhile, Yusuke, Morgana, and Ren were quiet, lost in thought, as the three kids chatted about Pokemon as if nothing weird had just happened to all of them.

"I can't think of a reason why this would be possible," said Morgana.

"Me either," said Ren. "Yusuke, how did you know you could summon your persona?"

"I didn't. I didn't even think. I just had to save the child. I didn't think I could swim fast enough to do that, so I decided to run. And that's when I called to Susasno-o, out of habit I suppose….And he answered."

Out of habit. The habit of using power to accomplish great deeds. Ren began to worry again, but Makoto's words came back to him: "_none of us would let another one of us slip so far into the dark as that." _ His worry slipped away. She was right. Whatever this development meant for them, they would all face it together.

The sound of screeching tires pulled Ren from his thoughts. A car stopped on the narrow road in front of the restaurant. A man and women leapt from it, urgency written all over their faces.

"Mom!" said Akasuki, as the woman immediately smothered the child in a tearful embrace.

"You're safe! You're safe! What a blessing!" She looked up. "You saved my son?

Ren indicated Yusuke. "Yusuke did."

"Thank you. Thank you, thank you," the near hysterical mother said to Yusuke, staring at him while clutching and hugging the young boy to a degree that seemed to be embarrassing the child.

The man was wiping away tears and putting his emotions back together. Finally, he approached and bowed deeply to Yusuke. He said, "I'm Reo Nakamura. Akasuki is our son."

"I'm Yusuke Kitagawa. This is Ren Amimya. We just happened to be nearby, that's all."

"What happened?"

"The tide got a hold of the boy, but I was able to swim out in time. It was nothing, really."

"I can never properly express my gratitude for your skill in rescuing my son. Are you a professional swimmer, Mr. Kitagawa?" asked the child's father.

"I'm an artist."

"Oh!... I- I see… well! Thank you! Thank you very much." The man bowed deeply before Yusuke again.

"Don't mention it."

"Yusuke is so cool!" whispered Morgana.

"I'm in your debt, Mr. Kitagawa. Is there anything I can do to repay you?"

"Well… my cell phone was submerged. It appears to be destroyed."

"Oh! Of course! I'll replace it for you today! It's the least I can do!"

Morgana sighed. "Nevermind."

While Yusuke spoke with the child's parents, Ren retrieved his abandoned phone from the veranda. He opened up a group chat with everyone.

_J: When you wake up, everyone, come over to our room immediately. I believe Makoto and Futaba are already there. We need to meet._

_Q: What happened?_

_N: Are you okay?_

_S: What's up?_

More people were awake than he'd thought. Ren typed another message:

_J: I'm with Yusuke and Morgana. Everyone is fine. There is no danger. But we need to meet ASAP._

_P: OK._

He put his phone away. "I called a meeting," he told Morgana.

"Right."

"As soon as we can extract Yusuke from the parents, we will head back immediately."

"Understood, Joker."


	4. The Long Meeting

The former Phantom Thieves sat in a circle in Ren and Makoto's room, all in yukatas. Except Morgana, since he was a cat. The morning sunlight shimmering through the windows was starting to strengthen into full daylight.

Yusuke had taken a quick bath when they arrived, and Ren told everyone what he saw on the beach while they waited for Yusuke to when Yusuke had arrived, he told them what he could of what he felt at that time, which wasn't much.

"I didn't know I could summon Susano-o. I just knew I had to, so I did," said Yusuke.

Ren remembered something else Yusuke said earlier. "Before the sunrise, you said something else. You said that you just had a feeling you needed to be there, at that spot, this morning, right?"

"Yes, that's correct. It was like a necessity. I woke up without an alarm at the perfect time this morning, too."

"Wait," said Ryuji, "Yesterday afternoon, when we were waiting for the girls, you said something about needing to paint the cove, too."

"Yes. As soon as we reached the end of the street, I was smitten with this powerful feeling for that place. I interpreted it as a need to paint. That feeling was similar to the one I felt for the cove, so I assumed they were the same. But now, I don't think so. The feeling I had upon seeing that cove was different. Stronger, in a way. More insistent. But it could be my memory fooling me."

"Has anyone else felt anything weird or new?" asked Ren.

Everyone shook their heads.

"If Yusuke can call Susano-o," said Ann, "Then I can probably call Carmen." She reached to her face and acted like she was pulling off a mask. Nothing happened.

"I think you're right, Ann," said Makoto, "If Yusuke can do it, then it logically follows we all probably can."

"It's probably different though," said Haru, "Since the real world and the world of cognition are so different."

"The world of cognition though- that's the Metaverse, right?" said Ryuji, "We destroyed it. Right, Morgana?"

"Yes, that's right," said Morgana. "They are separate, and one is gone."

"No," said Futaba. All heads turned to her. "That's wrong. They aren't separate. Not anymore."

"What do you mean, is it something from your mother's research?" asked Makoto.

Futaba shook her head. "No, it's something Morgana said."

"Me?"

"Yes, after The Battle. After when we were above the clouds."

Those events were getting hazy for Ren. "What did he say?"

"What did I say?"

Futaba was tearing up. But she soldiered on. "He said:

'_The whole world is a product of cognition. Not just the Metaverse. It can be freely remade. The same goes for you, and everyone else. Soon a new world will come. One where mankind isn't held captive. The world will shine brightly as long as you hold hope in your hearts. Remember: There's no such thing as the "real" world. What each person sees and feels- Those are what shape reality. This is what gives the world infinite potential. Even if you feel that only darkness lies ahead... As long as you hold hands together., see it through as one, the world will never end! The world exists within all of you!'"_

A vision of the Shibuya Crossing appeared in Ren's mind. But it was chromatic, like a rainbow, and it was melting upward into the sky- and so was Morgana. He'd forgotten that moment, until now. It came flooding back.

Tears were glistening in everyone's eyes.

"Damn!" said Ryuji. "I forgot that? How could I forget that?"

"It seems we all did," said Yusuke.

"But Futuba… Futuba has eidetic memory," said Ren.

"I don't remember saying that," said Morgana, sounding worried.

After a long pause.

"Maybe you didn't," said Makoto.

"What-" Haru's voice sounded worried, "What do you mean, Makoto?"

"Morgana was dissolving- like the rest of the world. And if we believe what he was saying, and why wouldn't we? Then the world was remade- based on the cognition of us all. Us and every other human." She looked at Morgana. "You are not that Morgana. You're the remade Morgana. Created from all of our cognition of that Morgana. The first Morgana, born to guide us and teach us, is gone, along with the world of that- that- god... You're new."

Morgana appeared to be tearing up. "So, I'm not real?" He sniffled loudly. "The Morgana you know is gone and I'm- I'm," He squinched up his cat eyes and yelled, "I'm just some copy!?"

"Erm, maybe- but," Makoto was floundering in the face of Morgana's distress, "Oh! Don't cry, Morgana! I didn't mean to make you sad!"

Haru gathered up Morgana into her arms and snuggled him. "You feel real to me."

Morganna sniffled, looking a little better in Haru's arms. He stared at Makoto, seemingly wanting her to continue.

Makoto hesitatingly continued, concerned eyes on Morgana. "You- you are real, Morgana. Because we made you real. Look you're crying... You're talking... Cats don't do that, obviously. But you do that, because that's what you were able to do with us, that was in our cognition of you. But no other cats are like that, because no other cat was cognitized as being able to that by anyone else in the world as it was remade."

"Makoto," said Ann, wide eyed, "You figured this all out just now?"

Makoto shook her head. "I don't know for sure, i'm just following the logic from Futuba's memory. This makes sense in a logical thread."

Ann frowned, thought for a moment, then reached over and started petting Morgana. Haru snuggled him more, too. He started purring. The girls giggled.

Then Ann sat back and said: "If I understand what Makoto is saying, Morgana, its that everyone was remade. Even us. So none of us are really the same either. We are all new versions of ourselves, born from the love for us and the cognitions of us that was contained in both ourselves, and other people. So are you. You were reborn because we love you and it is necessary for you to exist in our lives."

Makoto brightened. "Yes, Ann! That was perfectly said. I think that's exactly the case, Morgana."

"'Necessary in your lives…" said Morgana, more to himself. His eyes closed in contentment and he rubbed against Haru. "That makes me feel better."

Everyone was silent for a moment, processing.

"What about fantasies?" said Yusuke, "Could they have been remade? Could what was once not real, be made real now, because someone congitised it as so?"

"Yeah! Like- what about cartoon cats?" asked Ryuji, "They existed. They could talk. Are we going to see other walking, talking cats like Morgana as if a cartoon land and our old world were merged together?"

Makoto's face wrinkled as she went into deep thought. They all waited for her to finish. Finally, she said: "No, Ryuji, I don't think so. So when the world was remade, in whatever way it was remade, those cats were cognitized as cartoon cats in cartoons- not real talking cats in the real world. I don't think one person, or a few people, say, who may have had some kind of mental issue which made them confuse reality with fantasy, would cause fantasy things to become real during the remaking of the world."

"But isn't that what is going on with Yusuke and his persona?" countered Ryuji, "He shot ice from a ghost 'digimon' he has in his soul, or whatever. Isn't that fantasy made into reality?"

"The last year was no fantasy," said Ren, all heads turning to him, "The Metaverse was a different realm from what we called the "real" world, but what happened there, what we did inside, was real. We became tired. We were injured. Hearts were stolen. People died... all of that was real. Our powers were real. The personas were real."

"So, when the world was remade…" said Futaba slowly, "It's like the world loaded a saved game, but the memory file was the brains of all the people, and it was edited slightly to get rid of the bad guy, like with a debugger."

"Um, I don't really know what you're talking about, Futaba." Makoto said.

Makoto didn't play video games very much.

"I think you're close enough, Futaba," Ren said, "I think that's a pretty good comparison."

"But if what I said was in your memory," said Morgana, "Wouldn't remade me have that memory from your cognition of the old me?"

Makoto thought about that. And thought about that. Then a worried look spread over her face. "Sorry, that's a good question. I don't know- that would make sense, though- if what I've said is anything close to the actual truth. So it does seem to be a contradiction which destroys my theory."

"No. Your theory has an obvious ring of truth to it, Makoto," said Ren, who then pointed at Morgana. "A talking cat is sitting right there. That's objective evidence that you are right. And it explains why Yusuke could summon his persona, and the fact the persona existed. We cognitized it into existence when the world was remade."

"So…" said Haru, "We remade ourselves… but with the persona powers we had in the Metaverse? Because us really having those abilities was in our cognition?"

"Yes, I think that would explain it," said Ren.

Makoto nodded. "If my logic is correct, I think that's the case. But again, that's just my deduction."

"Deduction?" said Ryuji, "That reminds me of that asshole, Akechi."

"Akechi!" blurted Ren, mind suddenly whirling into overdrive. Everyone looked at him. "We're the only ones who know he's dead! And even then, we didn't directly see it. He was a famous figure, so he will be in millions of cognitions, and he never confessed his sins to the public. Could he have been remade, too? By everyone else? Could he be alive? Because people didn't know he was dead?"

Makoto went wide-eyed. "Oh, no!" she gasped.

A weight returned to settle on Ren's shoulders. Akechi was dangerously intelligent. If he were alive again- If he were an enemy still. That could be a huge problem. He was a murderer and an assassin. And he was scary quick in the head.

"Futaba!" Ren said, sharper than he intended.

She already had her phone out. "I'm looking! I'm looking!"

The group waited in an intense worried silence as Futaba searched the internet. Finally, she shook her head. "Nothing. Nothing new anyway. No one is really paying attention to us, or Akechi, anymore. As far as anyone knows, he's still missing."

Everyone looked relieved. Everyone except Ren. The weight didn't lift from his shoulders. Akechi. Akechi. That snake face he made when he had finally taken off his mask and revealed himself. Ren could never forget it. He could see in his mind the broken and wounded Akechi, holding that gun, his face twisted in that foul expression of his- and when the iron door had shut and the sound of the gunshot punctuated the end of Goro Akechi's life- Ren had felt a relief like he'd never known in his life.

"No," Ren said, and everyone looked at him with worry. "No. He's alive. I don't know in what form- or with what knowledge, but he's alive somewhere. I can feel it."

Everyone stayed very quiet.

Finally, Ryuji said: "Aww, man. I can't believe it. This sucks."

"We don't know for sure he's alive," said Makoto quietly, "or if he is still an enemy.".

"But we can be sure he's way ahead of us on figuring this out," said Ren. Then he almost said that Akechi could be outside, right now, casing this very room. Their trip had not been a secret. It would have been child's play for Goro Akechi to track them. But Joker stopped himself. That was borderline paranoid and would disturb his team.

Makoto shook her head and gave him an intense look. Queen was saying 'calm down!'

"No, that's impossible. I'm sure of it," Makoto said.

"How?"

"He doesn't have the information we have. He doesn't have a memory of what Morgana said. Morgana revealed a truth of the universe to us and ONLY us. It only exists in our memories. No where else. Unless- Futaba?"

"Don't be stupid," said Futaba, indignantly, "Of course I haven't written any of this down anywhere, online or offline."

"And none of us ever will," said Joker- it was spoken as an order, and everyone nodded in agreement.

Makoto continued her train of thought. "IF Akechi was remade, which we are not sure of, only Masayoshi Shido, us, and Akechi himself even knew Akechi had a persona or any of his powers. Akechi was dead when the world was remade, so… could a cognition of himself, from himself, be used during the remaking of the world?" Makoto paused to think. "I wouldn't think so, because he didn't exist. And he died killing the cognition of Akechi in Shido's Palace, so it seems most likely that Shido was at least peripherally aware that Akechi was defeated, and probably dead. Meanwhile, every other person on Earth who knew Goro Akechi knew him as a genius boy detective- special yes, but not possessing super powers, a persona, or a shadow profession as an assassin. To their cognition, he was a hero. That could make him a hero now, for all we know. The public persona made true because he was remade that way."

The group was quiet again as they considered Makoto's words.

"It's a convoluted suspicion," said Yusuke.

"Don't forget what Ren said about what he was told in the fabric place," said Futaba.

"The what?" said Ryuji.

"The Velvet Room," supplied Ren.

"Right," said Futaba, "The bad god was debugged out of existence, right? Because it lost the game, the bet, between it and something else. The thing on our side. The thing that made Morgana; it won. And Aketchi was the loser god's human avatar, like in an online game. Aketchi would be edited, too, right?"

"Ugh!" snarled Ann, "To think we're just pawns like that."

"Victorious pawns," said Yusuke, "with a great wager at stake."

Ann sighed. "Yes, that's true.

Ren recollected the thread of the conversation. "We don't know if Akechi was debugged for the same reasons we don't know if he exists or not. We don't fully understand what happened. But we can't leave an enemy like Akechi up in the air over an assumption that everything is fine because we hope it is."

Everyone considered that.

"Could we check if anyone was dead before the remaking, and see if they are alive now?" wondered Haru.

"Good idea," said Ryuji.

"I don't think we can do that," said Futaba, "To check that, we'd have to know that someone was dead, that no one else knew was dead, and then see if they are alive now. Akechi is the only person that meets that description."

Ryuji started shaking his head as if his mind was doing somersaults. "Oh yeah... because it would be like, someone would have to die, alone, like a shut-in or whatever, falling off.. Off a ladder- and then somehow we know he died but everyone else thinks he's still alive in his room. Like, he'd send us a text saying he was dead."

"A shut-in?" huffed Futaba, "Really?"

"Sorry! It was the only kind of person I could think of who would die and no one would notice for a while."

"So an investigation of Akechi himself is the only way to know for sure," said Ren, "Let's be proactive. And by us. I suppose I mean you, Futaba."

"Huh?"

"The search you just did. It was just of news headlines and such, right?"

"Yeah."

"Can you get into Akechi's phone, like you got into ours?"

Futaba sighed and thought for a moment. "Akechi didn't use social media directly. Anything and everything about Akechi was posted by other people. With no posts online on anything publicly visible, there is no thread I can use to follow back to his specific device. I would be left with phone calls, because I doubt Akechi was stupid enough to text, even if he was stupid enough to talk over the phone when he thought he was safe."

"Wait- you hacked his phone already!" said Ann. "That's how we fooled him into killing shadow Ren!"

Futaba shook her head. "It was a secondary phone. He started using it when he contacted the Phantom Thieves directly, and destroyed it the night he thought he killed Joker. After he reported to Shido on it. It wasn't his real phone. Or at least, the phone he would have been using at other times."

"It sounds hard," said Ren, "But can you do it?"

"Jeeze!" Futaba flopped onto her back and groaned, kicking her legs in the air in her yukata.

"Futaba! Your panties!" said Haru.

"Whoops!" Futaba shot back upright and blushed. Then she said: "We know where Akechi was on a few occasions when he was with us, or around us, or in locations near us. But cell phone tracking isn't super precise. A GPS location can be off by a lot of space. More than you might think. And there could be thousands of other phones pinging the exact same location.'

Futaba groaned again and rubbed her face.

'But yes! I could write a script that could start cross-referencing cell phone data. But I'll have to hack into multiple databases, because we don't know what cell phone service he even used, and then have it look for the phone that was around all those known places at all those known times and cross-reference those! Even then, I might not be able to pinpoint the exact phone, and how do we know data like that was correctly remade when the world was? Nobody held electronic phone records in their cognitions. They would have to be robot people."

"I supposed we can't know for sure," said Ren, "But we need to try every means we can to confirm if Akechi is dead, or if he's alive. Identifying his phone and determining its location, or destruction is one way of doing that. We all know what Akechi did, what he can do," He looked around at serious faces, "And he knows where we live, who our families are, and he knows about Cafe Leblanc." Everyone paled a little. "Do you understand, Futaba? This is something only you can do."

"I understand. I brought my laptop. It's in the van. I can remote connect to my PC for extra processing when I need it."

"Excellent, well-done Oracle," said Joker.

Ryuji snickered. "I love it when he says stuff like that."

"Wait," said Ann, "That sounds super impressive, and everything. But isn't there some easier stuff we can do first?"

"I hope so," said Futaba.

"There is Goro Akechi's school," said Ann. "If the world was remade months ago and him with it, maybe he's shown up in places he should have. Sae Niijima knew Akechi. So did Boss. We can check those sources first."

Makoto blushed. "Of course, that's so obvious. Good thinking, Ann."

"I can hack into his school, easy," said Futaba.

"I'll text sis right now," said Makoto.

"I'll text Boss," said Ren.

"Wait," said Ryuji. "Do we have to worry about our phones being tracked?"

"I like where your brain is at Ryuji," said Morgana, "But Futaba already shrouded your phones when everyone was in Hawaii."

"Oh, I didn't know that."

"Surprise!" said Futaba, throwing up victory signs.

Those texting sent their texts, then phones when away again.

"The possibile return of Akechi is not the only concern," said Makoto. "We have a plan for him now, but what about the more immediate situation in this town?"

Faces went thoughtful. Yusuke cleared his throat. "I was invited to a celebration of my successful rescue of the child. It's tonight at a local pizza restaurant. I can bring all of you as my guests."

"We may be lucky in regards to the personality of the rescued child," said Ren, "It seems likely that the method of rescue will be attributed to Yusuke's swimming ability. He swore his friends to secrecy and agreed to it himself. However, they are are about 8 years old or so."

"At that age," said Yusuke, "Adults are unlikely to believe the real story of what happened, anyway."

"I agree," said Haru.

Everyone else nodded as well.

Ren was suddenly inspired to talk. "Actually, since the pizza party is this afternoon, I want us to discuss us, first. Our decisions in this meeting will determine how we choose to handle this thank-you celebration."

The team looked at each other, a little surprised at Ren being so proactively talkative. But they remained quiet and waited to hear what he had to say.

This was the sort of thing Morgana used to do, as their fate-sent guide. But the remade Morgana seemed different, and if they were correct, then there was no plan or game or fate behind this remade world. It was up to them, and they had chosen him, Joker, as the leader. He would need to start talking more, rather than simply being the final say on options presented.

"I believe we are all in agreement that, regardless of our abilities, popularity is more a detriment than an advantage to our lives," said Joker, looking around the room. He rested his gaze on Ryuji.

"Hell yeah, man," Ryuji growled, "Screw the court of public opinion. They're always wrong anyway. Calling us murderers! Siding with that- that- that fucking thing at the bottom of Mementos!"

Nods all around again.

"We're not Phantom Thieves anymore, but I think we should maintain our tradition of only moving upon complete majority approval," suggested Makoto. "If we dissent, then we don't do whatever it is until we all agree."

"That was the point which made me want to join," said Haru, "it's the best and strongest safety net we have."

Universal nods.

"I second Haru's point," said Ren, "And in a way, its related to worries I have over our futures..." He looked at Makoto. She nodded at him. He stood, feeling this was the moment for this to come to light to his friends. They looked up at him with focused attention.

"It seems we again have our powers, and perhaps for the worst, we can use them at will in a place where no one is a cognition..."

He paused, realizing this was an essential point to hammer home.

"Think about that."

He looked around, seeing serious faces, but not exactly as serious as he hoped.

"Ann, imagine what one of Carmen's fire spells would do to a real human being, not a shadow of one."

Ann paled visibly and nodded. That was the reaction Ren wanted.

"Ryuji, what if Wukong hit a power line with a lightning bolt and a hospital lost power?"

"Shit," said Ryuji.

"Yusuke, good work today, but what if Susano-o accidentally froze the kid, too? You don't know how you summoned your persona, much less how you controlled it so well."

Yusuke nodded.

"Haru. Your persona uses telepathy and guns. Big guns with lots of bullets. We all read the news stories out of the United States. Need I elaborate?"

Haru shook her head vehemently.

"Morgana, your persona used wind to devastating effect. As a typhoon-prone nation, I think we know what wind can do."

Morgana nodded.

"Makoto, our nation is the only nation to feel the effects of atomic weaponry, and your persona uses nuclear attacks- the after effects of which take decades to fade."

Makoto grimaced.

"Futaba, well, we never really know what yours is going to do. But it can cause just as much damage as any of the others."

Futaba nodded.

Ren sat back down. "As for myself, well, can I just call Arsene? Can I call the- the godkiller? Can I call shadows we've captured in the past? I don't know, but regardless of which is correct, the same dangers you all face, I do as well.'

Ren sighed. "In short- everything we've done in the past was like shooting the BB gun at a summer festival. Because we were in the Metaverse and with the exception of the Palace's ruler, we couldn't hurt real people. Now it's like we have real guns with live ammunition. We can do serious and disastrous harm to anyone. Strangers, our loved ones, each other."

"And that leads into my main concern:" Ren looked up at his friends. If he was ever to voice his fears, this was the moment. Better to have them all thinking about it, too, than keeping it bottled up between him and Makoto.

"How can we be sure we won't misuse our gifts? How do we avoid our own corruption at the hands of our own power? What is going to stop us from deciding what is right, ignoring what anyone outside this group says, and using our power to impose our justice on others? We've all seen Palaces. We've all changed the hearts of vicious, disgusting, cruel people. What's to stop us from becoming so assured of our own righteousness, we become like them? So blind to our own actions, that we actually think we are the heroes as we follow Goro Akechi into the black pit. How do we avoid ourselves becoming the evil which we deplore?"

Serious, serious faces looked at him from all corners of the room. Good, that's what Ren wanted. Because Ren didn't have the answer.

"There is a common saying in English," said Makoto, "That absolute power corrupts absolutely. I think the wisdom of this saying is that: even the most pure hearted person can be corrupted when faced with the constant possibility of doing what they want to do, rather than the impossibility of doing it. To use a childish example: It is much easier to resist the cookies out of reach, than the ones right next to you on a plate. You might start grabbing them because you can, even if you are not supposed to."

Ryuji rubbed his head. "This is heavy stuff, guys. But I get why we gotta talk about it. Basically, we gotta decide what kind of super heroes are we gonna be, right? We have powers, but actually, maybe that's really bad? So more like, we have to decide if we are gonna be super heroes or not? We could resolve to just not use our personas? Assuming we learn to control them in the first place."

"Yeah, and we have to know how we make sure we stay the good guys if we do use the powers" said Futaba, "like in comic books. The good guys and the bad guys are really kind of the same. They are people with special powers."

"I don't like that we are referencing comic books and anime," said Makoto. But then she sighed. "But that really is the only literature that explores this situation."

"Did Makoto just call manga literature?" snickered Ryuji.

"If we have powers, we have a responsibility to use them!" Haru said, her voice uncharacteristically firm. "And not all our powers were destructive. We can heal! We can augment! And If we can save someone, or do something good, and we choose not to, isn't that bad?!"

Ren frowned. He hadn't thought of that side of this. "That's a good point, Haru."

"And why did we receive these powers when the world was remade?" asked Ann. "If we are not supposed to use them, wouldn't we have been remade without them?"

"An excellent notion," said Yusuke, "and I think another major point is forgotten. Allow me to use Ryuji as an example. He is an athlete. He is extremely fit. He spent the last year hitting monsters with a sledgehammer. One-handed. In terms of raw physical strength, I believe he is the top of our group."

"Yeah, thanks, Yusuke."

"He also desperately desires to have sex with a woman."

"Fuck you, Yusuke! You're just as desperate!"

Morgana was holding back laughter. "Relax, Ryuji. Yusuke said he was just using you as an example."

"Then why you laughing?"

Yusuke cleared his throat. "My point is this: Ryuji as he is now, without a persona or super powers, already possess all the tools he needs to commit atrocious acts to gain his desire. He could overpower and rape any woman he fancied, should he want to. But he does -not- want to rape women. He does -not- want to because he -is- Ryuji: a good man. A hero! Like all of us. Just having the tools required to accomplish villainous acts, does not necessarily make him dangerous. Or us evil."

Everyone was thinking hard after that one. Yusuke might not understand social things, but he had a certain touch of wisdom that he could display to grand effect.

Ann pounded a fist on the tatami mat. "I joined the Phantom Thieves because I didn't help Shiho when I should have, when I could have. And I never want to make that mistake again. If we have the ability to help people, we sure as hell should!"

"I joined because I wanted the courage and strength to do the right thing for people," said Ryuji, "It would be pretty dumb to agree to never doing the right thing."

Ren was taken aback. Ryuji had just distilled the entire crises into a simple statement. It would be stupid to not do the right thing.

The room went quiet. No one seemed to have any further arguments to offer.

"Then what is the will of the group?," said Ren, "Are we to try and harness these powers to help people? To continue, in some fashion, what we began as the Phantom Thieves of Hearts?"

Ren looked around at his friends. They were all looking at him intently. Determination flashing in their eyes. The result was already obvious.

"Raise your hands if you say yes," said Ren.

Everyone raised their hands, and paw.

"Then it's unanimous."

Ren lowered his hand down, relieved. Most of his fears about their fate was now at rest. The dangers he had forseen were presented, considered by his friends, and efficiently cut down. Ren Amamiya was satiated.

Joker smiled and felt that rush of excitement flood through himself once again.

He was way too young to retire, anyway.


	5. Chapter 5

Joker's fresh excitement seemed contagious, it flowed outward from his smile, and settled upon everyone, each member's eyes traveling to everyone else's, barely contained grins tightening up the corners of all mouths. Ren looked around, seeing again the double outlines, but they were calming, shrinking, and then perfectly aligned and invisible. He understood- they were returning to who they were supposed to be.

While it seemed every mission in the past was a necessity of life or death for the Phantom Thieves- stress most people would hope to avoid- they'd all joined eagerly, and relished the Palaces, the danger, the threats, the victories- even if they couldn't verbalize it. They did it because they fell in love with it, and now- after finally accepting it was all over and struggling to move on- they unexpectedly found themselves in the first steps of an entire lifetime of new adventures.

They were experienced Thieves now though- bitten, stung, burned, and wiser. They had better hideout discipline. No one shouted. No one screamed. Nothing to draw attention to the hotel room as anything other than a relatively quiet hotel room full of high school student enjoying their spring vacation. Ryuji didn't even say anything out loud- but he did do kind of a little dance that involved punching the air.

And then the swirl of shared giddiness ebbed. Joker launched the next section of the meeting.

"A pizza restaurant is not exactly a dangerous infiltration target, but I believe the context of our current situation makes this an important event," said Ren.

Makoto nodded. "My sister was adamant about us keeping a low profile."

"She lectured to us in Leblanc's," said Futaba.

"Right. I'll provide a summary in case anyone dozed off," said Makoto, then pointedly looked at the cat, "Morgana."

"Me?"

Makoto continued: "Tokyo is not far away. The prosecution of Shido is still in the works, and there's lots of powerful people with a lot to lose because of his downfall. Sae said it wasn't all on fire, but the coals are still hot. We must not fan the flames back to life." She looked around at everyone. "You remember when we brought the witness of Ren's innocence to court, and it almost didn't work? That's what she means."

"That still pisses me off so bad," said Ryuji.

"I thought things would be different after the battle above the clouds," said Yusuke, "But people were quick to put that behind them. They remember and they don't."

"It's too weird. Too big," said Ann, "It's like an instinct to recoil from it."

"I think eventually we will be the only ones to remember," said Morgana.

"It's for the best." Haru said with conviction. "That's what we do. Protect people from things like that. So they don't even know they need us."

The group regarded Haru with interest.

"Dang, that sounded cool, Haru," said Ryuji.

Haru blushed deeply and smiled at him.

Joker took up the thread. "Ideally, we will be as Haru says- the invisible actors, our deeds known only to us and those we save or take down. "But secrecy is certainly secondary to the life of a child. This pizza party is unavoidable aftermath to a necessary rescue. It may be a good template for events we'll need to deal with in the future."

"I think it's obvious that we have to go to the party, all of us," said Ann.

"Really?" asked Morgana, "Isn't that jumping into publicity directly?"

"Not at all. It's going to be the kid's family- maybe a few family friends, and that's it. Local. Small. Quiet. As far as anyone in this town knows, we are just high school students with an amazing friend who saved some kid, and we get some free pizza out of the deal. Not going would bring more attention to us."

"I agree with Ann," said Makoto, "If we don't show, they will come looking for us out of their good nature, and when we are gone, it will become a mystery. A story. Worst case scenario, a small town journalist needing a scoop will sniff it up and our names hit the Tokyo news cycle as mystery heroes."

"Yeah, what kind of teenager skips out on free pizza?" said Futaba, "Who wouldn't think that was suspicious?"

Everyone nodded.

"It's unanimous," said Joker, "When is the party, Yusuke?"

"Six."

"Ok, and its…"

Everyone except Morgana took out their phones and looked. Yusuke's phone remained black. "Ah," he said and tossed it into a nearby travel bag.

"About 10 a.m. We have lots of time. Where is it?"

"They texted me the address," said Ren, "I'll send it."

Group chat notifications blinged off everyone in the room. Google Maps sent a significant amount of data to the hotel room as they all clicked on the hyperlink. Silence while they waited for the load time.

"That's surprisingly far," said Ann, "I thought these people lived near the cove?"

"They arrived maybe 10 minutes after the restaurant owner hung up the phone," said Ren, "This drive is over twice that."

"Perhaps they broke road laws, the tires did screech when they pulled in," said Yusuke.

"Or its just the best place in town and they want to show their gratitude as best they can," said Haru.

"This pizza place is attached to some kind of hot spring mountain resort," said Futaba. She turned her phone for the group to see. "Artisan pizza."

"Are we going to leave town after the party? Or stay overnight here again?" asked Yusuke.

"If our things are in the car, then we can make the decision later. We can always come back," said Morgana.

"Anyone object?"

No objections.

"I think that ends the meeting," said Joker.

Everyone agreed.

And then stood around for an awkward moment, looking at each other.

"Well, uh…" said Ryuji, "What do you guys wanna do till then?"

Futaba threw up her arms. "Unlike the rest of you, I have a ton of work to do- thanks!" Futaba said.

"That's rough," said Ryuji, "Do you want some help?"

"You? You literally would be entirely useless to me."

"Yeah, that's why I offered."

"I hate you."

"I need to work, too, Futaba," said Makoto, "I have a lot of readings to do for my classes. I'll walk with you to the car to get my backpack and your laptop- then we can have a study party?"

"Yay!" said Futaba.

"I'll join you both, too," said Haru, "I have some work to do."

"Wow, I feel like the odd woman out with these professionals here- working on their vacation days," said Ann. She looked outside at the sunny day. "I'm okay with it! Who wants to go explore the town?"

Ren, Morgana, and Ryuji signed up for that expedition.

"Yusuke?" said Ann.

"I desire solitude."

"Ooo...Mysterious. Anything to do with that girl's number you got last night?"

"The dice of fate are still rolling."

"Don't oversell it, Yusuke," said Morgana.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The high noon sun found Ann, Ren, Ryuji, and Morgana trekking through the web of narrow streets that was suburban Matzuzaki, seeking an eel restaurant they found on the internet.

"How much farther is this place?" asked Ann.

"A few hundred meters or so," said Ren.

"Makes you appreciate Tokyo," said Morgana.

"Right? Everything is so spread out here," said Ann.

"But I'll walk as far as it takes for eel!" said Morgana.

Ann did a sort of rotating turn while she walked to check out the road behind them. She stopped. "Whoa, what's that?"

The others turned to follow her pointing hand. Up near the top of the mountain which overlooked the town, a shining silver building of some sort glistened in the sunlight. It appeared to be half built into the side of the stone mountainside.

"An observatory?"

"A mansion?"

"They'd have to be super rich. Man, it's bright, isn't it?"

They continued on.

"Is this town like your hometown, dude?" said Ryuji.

"Pretty close," said Ren.

"Man, this is good running territory. So many places to go. The beach. Those hills up there. A forest! Tokyo doesn't have that."

Ryuji jogged past them, high stepping, then stopped and hop-skipped backwards to face them. "You guys wanna go on a run later? Explore some nature? We'll still have a couple hours to spare after the eel settles."

Ann frowned. "I do have a big shoot next month. And I ate a ton last night, and pizza tonight." She sighed, hand patting her gut. "I'm not going to be able to depend on my metabolism forever."

"So that's a yes?"

"Yeah."

"Ren?"

"Sure."

"Morgana?"

"Not really a cat thing, Ryuji."

Ann stopped walking. "Hey, I just realized- it's been a long time since it's been just us."

Ryuji stopped, too. "Oh yeah. We're it, aren't we? The original crew."

Ren looked at his three companions. "That castle seems a long time ago, now."

"Not to me," said Ryuji, slamming a fist into an open palm, "I think about that fucker Kamoshida every day. How he broke me. Then you three fixed me. And we broke him."

"Not me either. I think about Shiho on the pavement," Ann's voice was very quiet. "I still dream about it sometimes. I can't sleep after."

Morgana rubbed himself against Ann's leg. "But then you got stronger, Lady Ann. Like Ryuji."

"Yeah..."

Ren watched his two friends struggle under the weight of Kamoshida. That man was still so heavy, almost a year later. That first mission- the real birth of the Phantom Thieves, was not for social change or popularity- it was to take down an enemy; a real and present danger to themselves and to their fellow students. But it was still much more to Ann and Ryuji than it was to him or Morganna- Ren just transferred in, but those two… they were already in it, living it, stuck in a pit, knowing they had to claw their way out, but not knowing how. But now Ren could look back down on it, from the vantage of retrospection.

"You were both kids, then," said Ren. "I was, too. We were surprised by Kamoshida because he wasn't like the cartoons or the stories, was he? Just a normal looking person. He was a coach, a teacher, a type of person we've been trained to obey and trust since we were small children. How could we know such a person could be bad? No one taught us. We had to feel it. Taste it. Be the victim." Ren subconsciously rubbed his bangs between his thumb and forefinger. "You two are different from the people who learn it, accept it, avoid it, pretend its not there- those people should feel guilty. You both turned the tide and saved Shiho and the track team. You saved people we can never name, because Kamoshida was gone before they could be victims. You saved yourselves and us. "

Ann and Ryuji were staring at him. Ann wiped her eyes. Ryuji closed his gaping jaw with a click of his teeth.

"You know," Ryuji pointed at Ren "I kinda like the talky you. It will probably get annoying later. But right now, it's kinda cool."

Ren blushed.

"I like the cadence he has- the rhythm really adds power," said Morgana.

"Yeah, you kinda lacked that in your speeches."

"Enthusiasm was my thing."

Ann was recovering herself, wiping her eyes again.. "I think it's because he spends so much time with Makoto."

Ryuji laughed. "Yeah, probably. And that lecture Sae Niijima gave us before this trip? Man, Niijiima women can talk!"

Ann laughed. Ren smiled at the sound. Morgana's tail flicked happily back and forth.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

At the appointed time, the van was loaded with Phantom Thieves and their travel bags and pulling away from the hotel- enroute up the mountain to a pizza party. Ren took the front passenger seat next to Makoto. He looked back in the van for Futaba- she was asleep against a window.

"Did Futuaba get very far with the Akechi thing?"

Makoto frowned and shrugged. 'She is not very good at progress updates. When she's working, she kind of… goes somewhere else."

"Yeah, I know what you mean."

"But she did check Akechi's school. Apparently, he's been absent every day this whole time. So if he's alive. He hasn't gone to school. And Sae says she hasn't heard anything from him or about him either."

"Sojiro said he hasn't been by the cafe."

"Ren..." said Makoto, "Maybe he wasn't remade. He was dead."

"He's alive, Makoto," Ren said firmly.

A quiet moment passed between them.

"How goes the college readings?" said Ren.

Makoto sighed as she pulled the van out of the inn. "Well enough, but I'm surprised by how diverse the classes are for undergraduates. It's similar to high school in that I have to take general prerequisites like Japanese history, world history, foreign language, the works."

"You'll ace those easy."

"That kind of attitude will get you in trouble, Ren. Studying is important for any class."

"After studying, you'll ace those easy."

She smiled as she turned the van around a bend, eyes sparkling a little as she checked her side mirror. "We'll see. But it was a bit of a disappointment when I was going through the course catalog and realized I won't really be taking any criminal justice classes until my third year."

"What's the rush? This year I'll be applying to Waseda, too."

Makoto's face lit up, "That would be amazing if you got in." Then her face went serious. "It's one of, if not -the- most prestigious universities in Tokyo. If you keep your #1 ranking, that will be good, But you also need to pad your resume with some extra-curricular activities. The part-time jobs you do will be good- we can even use Cafe Leblanc. But you will want something charity or leadership related to really make you stand out. As the student council president, I often helped place students in activities just for this reason. I can think of quite a few you might like and be good at. For example: there are some homes for the elderly…"

Ren settled himself in for a long ride.

Meanwhile, in the backseat:

Ann turned around to the boys. "Sooooo, Ryuji, Yusuke- you've both been hush hush about it all day. What about these girls you met?"

Both Ryuji and Yusuke eyed Ann warily. Haru pretended to not be interested, though Morgana was obviously interested. Futaba was still sleeping against the window.

"Spill the goods!" said Morgana.

"It wasn't that big of a deal," said Ryuji, reluctantly, "Her name is Kioko. We went to a ramen place and then a confectionary."

"Well, what's she like? Was it fun?"

"Yeah, she's cool. We talked a lot about exercise. She's on the field hockey team at her school."

"Do you wanna see her again?"

"Yes and no."

"What do you mean?"

"It was fun. The food was good. She is beautiful." He grimaced and rubbed his head. "But I can't afford dates like that! I spent so much money!" He sighed. "I need to get a job. Dating women is expensive."

Ann and Haru both laughed. "Ryuji has learned a truth of the universe."

"How about you, Yusuke?"

"I called, but she was not available to do anything today."

"Oh, Sorry."

"Why are you sorry? She is planning to see me at the pizza place, since she was invited as well."

"You should have lead with that!" said Morgana.

"Is she a relative?"

"The best friend of the boy's sister I think. We did not realize the connection until we revealed to each other our plans for this evening."

The van cruised confidently up though curving hillside roads. The surrounding trees and vegetation was thick- the ocean could only be seen through rare gaps in the canopies of trees growing farther down the hill. The pavement was dark and pristine, the surrounding earth a bit jagged.

"This road looks relatively new," said Haru.

"It's a different sound on the tires," said Yusuke.

"Okay, everyone," said Makoto from the driver's seat. "The resort is just ahead. Remember, we are high school students here to have fun. I don't think there is any danger to be had, but be careful with what you say."

The van turned the last corner and a large gate lay open before them. A white stone block was carved with the _The Aviary Resort_. Through the gate, the road snuggled up to long, bight, silver metallic building which looked oddly like a stack of child's blocks, but mismatched. The base level, a long rectangle that appeared to be most of the compound. A much smaller rectangle as a second floor, seemingly only 30% or so of the surface area of the bottom layer, and then a block smaller still than that at the top of the pile.

"The design is…. Interesting," said Yusuke, "I can't decide if it's hideous or bold."

"Boldly hideous?" offered Ryuji.

"This must be the building we saw down in town today," said Ann.

"Oh yeah, the shining thing."

"It doesn't really fit in with the rest of the town, does it?" said Futaba.

They followed signs for _The Brickoven at the Aviary_**, **the name of the in-house pizza restaurant and parked in a small parking lot. A few dozen cars were already there.

"What are you going to do, Morgana?" said Haru.

"I've never been in a forest before. I'm gonna go check it out!"

"Be careful."

"I've fought all the things you have, Noir. I'll be fine."

"But you can hold a sword when you do that."

"Ohh, boy. Here we go, Yusuke," said Ann as a large group of people exited the restaurant with balloons, a banner saying "Thank You Very Much!", and a small wrapped package. There was a collection of adults, teenagers, and elder folk- with all the appearances of being the extended family and some hanger's on. The rescued child and the parents were front and center.

"Good thing we came," said Makoto, "This would have been a lot of people to stand up."

They exited the car and waited for Yusuke to lead them to meet the welcoming party. Bows were exchanged. Yusuke thanked them for the welcome, accepted his gift (a replacement phone), and introduced his party to the welcoming family.

The husband smiled broadly and said, "Come in, the pizza is almost done, its buffet style, so enjoy yourselves." Yusuke was swept in with the main group of family, leaving the other Phantom Thieves and the other hangers-on to filter in as they could.

"Kioko? Hey! Kioko! Kioko!" shouted Ryuji.

"Ryuji!? Hey!" a female voice shouted back.

"What are you doing here?"

"My parents were invited! What are you doing here?"

"My friend was invited!"

Their loud voices dimmed slightly as they entered the building.

"They share the same volume," said Futaba.

As they entered the restaurant, they were greeted with a far wall that was all clear glass, granting a commanding view of the town and ocean below. A deck offered outdoor seating, and long awnings of some sort of anti-sun mesh mitigated the harshness of the setting sun. The room itself was filled with red tile and silver accents which matched the outside of the building. It was a warm, luxurious looking place that avoided looking gaudy.

Makoto leaned close to Ren, "That woman over there is wearing a police uniform. I'm going to go introduce myself."

"Ok. See you."

Futaba was standing uneasily next to him. "How are you doing, Futaba?"

"Fine, I think. These people seem pretty friendly. This is not nearly as bad as the subways in Tokyo."

Some children ran by and hovered around a woman in the host family's party. "Can we have some money for the arcade, mom? Please!"

"Ooohhh, an arcade! I think I'm ready for another solo mission, Ren."

"Did you need money?"

Futaba scowled at him. "What are you, my dad? I got my own money." And she stalked after the running children, deeper into the restaurant.

"Ah, my big spender," said a familiar voice. Ren turned to see the fish restaurant owner looking at him, rather than her apron and simple grey long-sleeve shirt, was was wearing a colorful, high-necked blouse with a seahorse pattern. "We never did exchange names. I am Botan Otohime."

"Ren Amimiya."

They exchanged bows.

"I know you said you knew the child, but I didn't know you were related, Ms. Otohime."

"Great-Great-Aunt. I've lived here a long time- lots of people are relations of mine here." She looked around, then moved forward and said conspiratorial, "I see enough of them during the rest of the year. I hope you will agree to eat with me, I would enjoy talking with someone from out of town for a change."

"Of course."

"Would any of your friends care to join us, as well?"

Ren looked around to see if there was anyone left to bring with him. Futaba was off in the arcade, and probably would be for quite a while. Makoto was talking animatedly with the police woman- obviously information gathering for her dream career. Yusuke was still inundated with family attention, and now a classy-looking young woman was standing next to him, too. Ryuji was on the far side of the room with the athletic looking Kioko girl. Ann was still outside, talking with a broad-chested high schooler who looked like he could be captain of the local American Football club. And Haru.. Haru was standing near the buffet line, looking at the labels of the soon-to-arrive pizzas.

"Haru," said Ren.

Haru walked over and bowed to Ms. Otohime, who's eyebrows raised slightly when she heard the name Okumura.

Haru said, "It's nice to meet you. Your cooking is amazing. The sea bream was easily my favorite."

Ms. Otohime's face burst into a wide smile. "That's very sweet of you. The sea bream, you say? That was my mother's recipe." Otohime's eyes traveled up and down Haru again. "You have good taste, sweet thing."

Haru flinched slightly at realizing she now had a nickname.

"Here comes the food," said Ms. Otohime, "My, my, western cooking is so popular these days. 'Artisanal' pizza. Ha! How much skill does it take to sprinkle toppings from a more expensive jar? Do people even know what the word 'artisan' means anymore?"

Ren and Haru glanced at one another. This dinner might prove interesting.

They brought their food to a table which stood near the glass wall overlooking the town and the sea

"It's a great view, I'll give him that," said Ms. Otohime softly.

"Sorry?" said Haru.

"Oh, nothing, sweet thing- just the grumblings of an old woman. Now tell me, you all are from Tokyo, I presume?"

Ren and Haru nodded.

"What brings you here? Our little town is a bit out of the way for most southbound traffic from Tokyo. Most folks shoot right past to Fuji and Shizuoka."

"We are actually on a roadtrip to my hometown," said Ren, "I've been away for a year. But we have a couple weeks, so plenty of days to spare to go out of the way."

"Well, we are that. Out of the way. Where is your hometown?"

"Ono."

"In Fukui? My, my.. very out of the way. Practically the wrong direction..." She mused. "A road trip without a plan… such an uncommon activity these days- especially with such a diverse group. But it would be nice to see more of it. The seaside strip is hurting for tourists these last few years."

There is was. The thread. The mystery of the empty businesses. But in just one day, so much had changed. This time, Ren reached out to pluck at it.

"I was curious about that. The seaside strip seems strangely desolate," said Ren.

Haru nodded. "And your restaurant! Your food was so good! I mean, this pizza is fine, but it pales next to our meal last night."

"Thank you." she nodded her head, but had a fierce look on her face afterward. "Yet my restaurant and my neighbors have suffered low traffic for nearly a full year. Even the local people avoid the area. If it lasts much longer, I fear many of us will be forced to close for good."

"What has changed in the last year?" asked Ren.

Otohime raised both arms to indicate the room they were in. "This monstrosity was completed."

"The resort is causing the problem?" asked Haru, a little skepticism in her voice.

"Not the resort exactly. The owner: Ito. I can't put my finger exactly on it, but ever since he finished this place, business has slowed. My relatives say there is a constant stream of bad reviews online for my restaurant, as well as the other businesses in the organization. Even on days I don't have customers because of earlier bad reviews!"

"Organization?"

"The organization of Matsuzaki's seaside businesses. We banded together to try and stop the construction of this eyesore of a resort. It's a silver zit on the side of our mountain!"

"And the resort is targeting the businesses in some way? Why?"

"We delayed the construction of this resort for a while. Tried to petition away the construction permits. But nothing stuck. And here we are..." She held up one of the pizza slices, wiggling it in the air, grease and cheese dripping from the narrow tip. "Over one of the most scenic coastlines of Japan, on the edge of an ocean of fresh seafood, we eat "artisanal" pizza."

She slapped the pizza back on her plate. "It's revenge for the trouble we've caused. Plain and simple."

Ren looked out of the window again. He could trace the parking lot they'd used, the road, and the beach. The roof of Otohime's seafood restaurant was tiny, but discernible. Would a man who can build a silver tower on a mountain be constantly bothered by the sight of his defeated enemies below him? Would he move to crush them out of spite? Maybe. There didn't seem a limit to human pettiness, but on the scale of sins the Phantom Thieves have tackled, it wasn't exactly a frontliner. But could sins be measured? There were real people down there in threat of losing their livelihood. Their dreams. If Otohime was right- was the justice of the Phantom Thieves the proper tool to help? Ren was unsure- it would need to be discussed by the team.

A loud burst of laughter came from the far side of the room. Ryuji and Kioko were obviously hitting it off again. Haru moved her head slightly to see past Otohime and get a better view of the two loudmouths.

Otohime followed Haru's glance over her shoulder. Otohime eyed the unaware Ryuji for a moment, then turned back to face Haru. "The blond one, eh? He isn't ready for you yet."

Haru blinked. Then her eyes went rather wide and she started turning red. "Wh-what? Sorry?"

"You heard what I said, sweet one," said Otohime with a smile. "I've been watching your eyes this whole time."

Haru continued to blush, but her eyes were now riveted on the older woman.

Otohime, seeing she had Haru's rapt attention, continued: "You're in the food business, Ms. Okumura. Know anything about fermented fish?"

Haru shook her head.

"Well, then listen to an old woman for a moment. I've owned my fish restaurant for years and years. Seen lots of people. Lots of young people. Young women. Young men. Young couples. Young love. Dates. Proposals. The works. People like the seaside... And I learned the truth in all that time. And the truth is: men are exactly like fermented fish."

"Eh?" said Haru.

"It's true," said Otohime. "Any fish, if prepared properly, can be a delicious fermented fish. Just the same: any man can be a delicious husband- if he's prepared properly."

Haru was already red, but somehow managed to become redder. However, she was captivated.

"Take this one," Otohime pointed at Ren, "He's got an old soul. Like a mackerel. Ocean spits him out. Little salt. Little vinegar. Three days in a crucible, tops. Comes out delicious. Ready to eat almost as soon as you want to eat him. But I bet some girl is already gobbling him up, right?"

Ren and Haru shared a wide-eyed look while Otohime's gaze wandered the restaurant again.

"The short-haired one in the skirt and leggings, I bet?" Her eyes flicked between Haru and Ren a few times. "Well, it doesn't matter. We ain't here to talk about him. We're talking about the fish you want, sweet one: blondie over there. Just because he ain't ready to eat right now, don't mean he's anything less then the mackerel. Amazing flavor comes with age just the same as from natural freshness."

"That one," the old woman pointed over her shoulder at Ryuji again. "Is a carp. Though he's still got a little of the hatchling in him, so it's too early. But it won't be long... Now- if you don't know, carp can be hard to work with. It doesn't want to be eaten, so it's not like a sardine or something which can be gulped down almost immediately- and leave a girl hungry for the rest of her life.'

'For carp, it's up to the chef to bring out what a carp can offer. But if it's done right, the results are absolutely delicious, some of the best fermented fish a girl could eat. Funazushi. Get me? Top grade stuff, too. An average girl might turn up her nose at it- but smart girls, strong girls, they really know what good is, what good eating is- and well, carp funazushi is a meal and more."

"Ha-have you made funazushi yourself?"

"Once, and though my husband passed away a few years ago, we had 40 wonderful years together. He was a carp. And I gave my recipe to my daughter. I could introduce you to my son-in-law if you want to look at a sample of the results."

"No, I don't think that's necessary." Haru's blush was disappearing. It was being replaced by a look of determination. "Would you be willing to share your recipe with me, Ms. Otohime?"

The old woman smiled. "I'm all yours, sweet one."

Haru turned to Ren with a serious look. "Ren, maybe some other people at this party might want to talk to you? I wouldn't want to hog all of your time."

Ren blinked. That was the most incredibly polite 'go away!' he'd ever heard.

"Of course."

Otohime politely kept her face neutral, but it was easy to tell she was highly amused.

Ren stood, walked away from the table, and looked around for a destination- he spotted Ann alone out on the balcony overlooking the town and sea.

He stepped out into the warm dusk. Ann turned at the sound of the door opening, tense annoyance on her face, then it relaxed when she recognized him.

"Hey," she said, turning back to the distant ocean. She'd been a little down since this afternoon.

Ren leaned on the railing with her. "You looked tense when I came out. Something up?"

"Nothing I can't handle. That high-school hunk was laying it on pretty thick, so I told him off. I thought for a second he might be coming out to make a second attempt."

"Did he offend you?"

"No. He was actually pretty sweet, but I couldn't help but see him as a child. A child in a young man's body. Two years ago, I would have had stars in my eyes, but now…" She sighed. "I'm just not interested." She was quiet for a moment, then rechecked the balcony to see if anyone else was around. They were alone- a chill March breeze blew in from the ocean, swirling the blond hairs which had escaped her hair buns.

"To be honest, I haven't really felt any interest of that sort, you know? I used to look at male models on billboards- you know, chiseled abs, strong chins with just a little bit of stubble. I'd get heated. You know what I mean?"

"Yes."

"But now… now when I think of that… kind of man and woman stuff... I think about Kamoshida. His smirk. The feeling of him standing nearby. I can even smell him. Its revolting."

Ren was at a loss. "Is it getting better?"

"Yeah," she sighed, "It's not as bad as it used to be, so I probably just need more time." Then she perked up, leaned her face on a palm and looked at him- blue eyes burrowing into his, her hair billowing in the wind, and drooping over the railing.

"To be honest, you're kind of causing the same kind of problem," Ann said.

"What?"

"Don't take this the wrong way, and I suppose it's not just you, but Yusuke and Ryuji, too… but when I look at a guy who seems interested in me, and I consider if I want to go on a date with him, I compare that guy with you- or Ryuji, or Yusuke- depending on which of you he looks kinda like. You're all honorable, brave, smart, handsome, dependable... Ha! You're blushing!... Basically, you're a high bar, Ren, and inevitably the guy doesn't match up, so I'm not interested. I'm not interested in inferior products."

"Ann, I'm certainly not the best man in Japan. There are plenty of good men in this country."

"Yeah, but those men aren't in high school are they? They're out there!" she waved her arm over the land, "Doing good man stuff, aged 25 to 35, and probably dating someone seriously their own age. Those kind of men don't date high schoolers, Ren!" She stomped a foot and sighed in frustration.

Ren smiled and looked over the town, too. "What's the rush? You'll be 20 soon enough. That isn't as scandalous an age. And you'll be a professional model. You'll have your pick of the best manhood has to offer."

She laughed, then play-moped. "I hate waiting… And Makoto looks so happy.. I'm ashamed, but I'm a little jealous to be honest. You guys are lucky."

"You'll get lucky, too. And even if you have to wait, it will be worth it. I'm sure of it." said Ren.

The balcony door opened behind them, a deep male voice said, "Oh, it's still a chilly time of year, isn't it?"

Ren and Ann turned to see a broad-shouldered man, late 50s, in a crisp and modest dark-purple suit. A young waitress was flanking him, somewhat nervously. In his right hand he held a crystal glass full of some kind of brandy or whisky, and when Ann turned towards him, a gust of wind from down the mountain billowed up past the decking, churning Ann's blond hair buns with dramatic effect. The man's eyes went wide and he stared, open mouthed. He dropped his glass. It shattered to the ground, breaking the spell of the moment.

The waitress immediately bent down to clean up the broken glass, but the man snatched and held her arms. "Careful! You might cut yourself, Yuki." He let go of her hands and he stood up. She sheepishly stood up with him. "If you would please get me a dust pan, I want to clean up my own foolishness."

"But Mr. Ito, I'm happy to do it. I work here."

"I hired you for my customers, not myself. I want to do it."

"Oh- ok."

The young waitress named Yuki left. Mr. Ito rubbed his chin, seemed to hesitate, then turned back to face Ann and Ren, and bowed.

"My name is Tarobo Ito. I apologize for disturbing your evening with my clumsiness, but I will admit, you shocked me, Ms.-?"

"Takamaki," said Ann, a slight bit of suspicion in her voice. "This is my friend, Amimiya."

"Ms. Takamaki." Mr. Ito bowed. "Mr. Amimiya." He bowed again.

He seemed to be taking great pains to be polite.

Ann seemed a little more on her ease. "You said I shocked you, Mr. Ito?"

"Yes, uh-"

The door opened and the waitress gave Mr. Itoh a small dust-pan and a hand broom.

"You might not believe me, but-" he grunted slightly as he crouched down and started sweeping the broken glass into the dust pain, "This is my resort. The construction completed not a year ago." He crouch-walked to track down a few stray glass shards- very carefully collecting every last one. He stood with a sigh. "And I'm on the verge of approving this season's promotional material. Magazines. Like the ones you get for free on airplanes. Travel articles that are basically just advertisements for this resort. That sort of thing."

He dumped the glass into the nearby trash receptacle- artfully disguised as a carved wooden lantern. He handed back the cleaning tools and said, "Don't worry about the stain- its not noticeable and it will be swept away by the nightly cleaning anyway."

"Yes, sir." Yuki said, then left.

"And-" he turned back to Ann and Ren. "And I'm not happy with any of the spreads that were sent to me. I was actually coming down here to think it over with a drink and a smoke."

He paused again and considered Ann. "I'm sorry if this makes me sound like a creepy old man, Ms. Takamaki, but I must ask- have you considered modeling?"

Ann's shoulders tensed slightly. "Actually- I've already done work as a model."

Mr. Ito clapped his hands together and he smiled broadly, "Excellent! That makes this so much easier to approach. Are you currently looking for new work?"

"Well, I'm on vacation with my friends-"

"Before you answer, let me show you the spreads I have upstairs in my office, Ms. Takamaki. Mr. Amimiya, if I could impose on you to join us? You are most welcome, as well."

Ann looked at Ren. Ren nodded.

"Okay."

Mr. Ito led them around the main floor of the restaurant where a long, glass-walled hallway connected it with the rest of the resort. Even the hallway had vision of the cove down below. Near the front desk, a single elevator stood to serve the other floors. Mr. Ito pushed the call button and the elevator immediately opened. They entered and Mr. Ito pushed the button for 'M'.

"As you drove up, I'm sure you noted that most of the resort is single level, but the second floor has some of the more premiere suites nestled against the mountainside. The administrative office is the third floor- a bit of a selfish design for myself, I'm ashamed to admit. But hey- it's my place, right?"

The elevator opened up to a secretary's desk. Above it on the wall, a stylistic sign said: "The Aviary Resort.' The desk was empty, presumably because the work day was small room contained two doors. One behind the secretary's desk, and another to the side.

"The side room is just a conference room, for meetings and such- I have the prints in my office."

He led them through the door behind the desk and it opened on a spacious and lavish office. The right side of the room was glass, and it glowed with the final light of day. The mountain side, the hills, the town, and the sea were revealed all in one grand panorama.

"Wow," said Ann. "I can see why you would want an office up here."

"Justified selfishness, I hope?" Mr. Ito said.

Leather couches surrounded a table, a bottle of spirits and glasses were nearby on a rolling tray. A large, darkwood desk stood on the far side of the room. It was tidy, with stacks of papers and a flat-screen computer monitor. On the wall behind the desk, a large tengu mask was mounted, like something from the old historical plays. It's long nose and ridiculous grin overseeing the room.

"Here are the frames I was sent," Mr. Ito said, indicating a row of photo collages on easels arranged around the main desk.

Ann and Ren approached. Models in various poses and outfits were on each, photoshopped onto a background that appeared to be the very balcony below on which they had just met Mr. Ito. Ann's breath hissed in when she looked at the third one from the right.

"That's Mika!" she said.

"Do you know her?" asked Mr. Ito, looking closer at the card. "You're from Tokyo then?"

"We've worked together before."

"I see. Well, I'm looking for the face of my resort. A face that brings in both foreigners and Japanese alike," he swept a hand across the model shots. "But none of these women seemed to be the one. I don't know what I thought I needed, or what I was looking for, but when I came out on the balcony tonight, and the wind swept up that stunning hair of yours, Ms. Takamaki, I knew it was you. I want you to be the face of my resort!"

"Well," said Ann, "I'm on a roadtrip with my friends. We're on vacation. I could come back, assuredly."

Mr. Ito's face fell in disappointment at her tone. "Unfortunately, Ms. Takamaki, it would have to be soon, the day after tomorrow would be the shoot. One day only. Then off to the publishers before the summer issues are created."

Ann looked at Ren. Mixed desires in her face.

Ren said, "You could always catch up with us?"

Ann frowned. "Don't be ridiculous. I'm not leaving everyone on the second day of the trip!"

"We can ask if everyone is willing to stay in town."

"That doesn't seem fair to them."

Mr. Ito's eyes were switching back and forth with the conversation. "How many people are you traveling with?"

"Um, seven. And a cat."

Mr. Ito considered. "I won't be coy, Ms. Takamaki. I want you for the job, and I'm willing to take reasonable steps to make that happen. Perhaps I can make an offer you can take to your group? If your friends agree to stay in the area until the day after tomorrow for you to make the shoot, they can stay in my resort for free. I have plenty of unoccupied rooms this early in the season and a bored cleaning staff that I must pay even if they have nothing to clean."

Ann blinked, surprised. "That's really generous, Mr. Ito."

Mr. Ito waved it off. "In actuality, it costs me nothing in new money, so please don't be impressed. The deal is for the rooms only, mind. Food and room service will be their responsibility like any other guest- I can't leave myself open to a potentially infinite expense. You understand."

"That's reasonable, yes. And it's still more than generous." Ann looked at Ren with eager eyes.

"We have plenty of extra time," said Ren, "But you'll need more votes than just mine, let's ask the others,"

Ann turned back to Mr. Ito. "Very well, I will present your offer to them."

"Excellent. Let me give you my cell number. I need an answer no later than noon tomorrow, because if you say no, I'll have to pick one of these girls and get them here in time for the shoot."

"I understand."

He checked a sparkling wristwatch. "I need to be heading home. I'll lead you downstairs and talk with the concierge about the deal and to make sure the rooms are ready for tonight and tomorrow. Just in the hope that they say yes."

They returned to the elevator and rode it down. The door opened to Ms. Otohime standing firmly in the lobby. Mr. Ito let out a puff of air and stepped out of the elevator towards her.

"Ms. Otohime."

"Mr. Ito."

They stared at each other. Tense animosity was palpable.

"I hope the food was to the liking of your family, Ms. Otohime."

"Yes, yes, youngsters love that kind of foreign trash, Mr. Ito. Thank you."

One of Mr. Ito's fists opened and closed.

"Your relative is a valuable employee. That makes his son a member of the Aviary Resort family, too. I'm glad they enjoyed it." He bowed stiffly. "Please excuse me, I have a matter to attend to." He turned and bowed to Ann and Ren as they stepped out of the elevator. "I hope to hear from you." And he walked away.

Ms. Otohime watched him go with a smirk, then turned back to Ren and Ann. The smirk gone.

"Hello, miss. My name is Ann Takamaki!" She bowed.

Ms. Otohime bowed very slightly and looked Ann up and down, then looked sidelong at Ren.

"You seem to have a very alluring scent, Mr. Mackerel."

"What?" said Ann.

"An inside joke," said Ren. "What can I do for you, Ms. Otohime?"

"Nothing. But now I suppose I should warn you. Mr. Ito is a hawk. He swoops in and takes what he wants."

"Is he dangerous?"

"Yes. But so am I." Ms. Otohime bowed again to them. "Good night, Mr. Mackerel. Ms. Takamaki."

Then she left out the front door of the resort. Ann and Ren watched her go.

"What was that about?"


	6. Chapter 6

The pizza party wore on longer than Ren expected. There were still quite a few people sitting around and chatting as the clock hit 10 p.m. Ryuji and Yusuke were in secluded corners with their respective dates. A group chat amongst them had called most of the girls to the onsen, with only Makoto remaining behind. Ren saw her say goodbye to the female police officer, spotted him, and walk over.

"You talked with that woman for almost four straight hours."

"Yes! I'm afraid I bored the poor woman, but I couldn't help myself. I wanted to hear everything I could of her time at academy and how police life is."

"Does it still sound like what you want to do?"

"Definitely!"

They reached the front desk.

Makoto turned to Ren, blushing, eyes averted. Sheepishly, quietly, she asked: "Shall we share a room?"

"Yes."

They left the front desk with their key.

"I'd like to get in an hour or so of reading," said Makoto, "Is that all right?

"Of course."

As they walked to their assigned room. Ren advised Makoto of the Otohime conversation, but left the whole Ryuji-as-a-carp part out, feeling that was Haru's private conversation.

"Should we investigate?"

"I want to ask everyone, but I'm going to think about our priorities tonight. I'm not sure what's best just yet."

He also told Makoto about Morgana, but left out the part about the mouse, as promised.

"Well, he is a cat. I kind of envy him. Running through a forest at night as a cat? I bet it's exhilarating!"

They reached their room. It was a standard looking hotel room. A large bed with fluffy comforter. A lamp. A desk for business. A closet and a bathroom. If this hot spring resort had private room hot springs, they must be in the fancier suites on the second level. Makoto set down her heavy backpack with a thud. Ren lounged on the bed and watched her.

Makoto took out one of her large college books, a notepad, her little panda pencil case, extracted a pencil, and set to work finding her spot in the text. The soft scratching of her pencil when she took notes was the only sound in the room. Earlier in their relationship, when exam time came close, Ren discovered Makoto would go into the "study tunnel", or at least that was Ren's private word for it. She had eyes only for her books, and if Ren wanted to have any chance of even seeing her or exchanging a few words, he would have to be with her while she studied.

He'd very quickly learned that any attempt to intentionally distract her was a fatal mistake- she'd almost stormed her way from his room and he'd only narrowly convinced her that he now fully understood how serious she was. Please stay. She stayed, but the scratches of her pencil had been very, very loud that afternoon. Ren cowered in the corner of his bed, out of her sight, reading a book he'd already read, for an hour, letting his leg fall asleep in gradually maddening discomfort because he dared not make his cot give out a single squeak.

A day later, sitting in a mugwort bath across the street from Cafe Leblanc, Ren had an epiphany about her reaction. It was because that one of the important parts of being Makoto was to be well studied: A Makoto studied. It was a central element of her self-worth and self-identity. A man who didn't allow her to study was someone who wasn't allowing her to be Makoto. And Makoto not being allowed to be Makoto was the driving emotional crisis which had woken her persona and turned her into a Phantom Thief.

Since then, when Makoto studied, Ren was very quiet. He enjoyed watching her sometimes, but he needed to do it subtly, because his overt gaze could make her self-conscious. But she was getting more comfortable with that. Before, she would grimace and shoot him looks, and he'd move out of her field of peripheral vision. But lately, instead of grimaces, they would be smirks and an arch of an eyebrow. But then she would be back deep in her book, and Ren dared not take that as encouragement for more active forms of distraction. The line was well established and he wasn't going to attempt it again.

Ren resolved to use the time during Makoto's studying to think about the next few days and the team. Without Morgana telling him to go to sleep at reasonable hours, he'd had less time to kick back and mull things over. So with Morgana's voice in his head, "Aren't you tired today?. Let's go to sleep already." He sighed back into the bed and lost himself in the ceiling.

Ren's specific role as the leader of the Phantom Thieves was elusive. He didn't often dictate the actions, plans, or goals of the squad, mainly because the group's government, such as it was, was a straight-forward unanimous democracy- but Ren also didn't like to dictate because the free flow of ideas, strategies, and observations from all the members created plans of actions far superior to the plans of a single person. Take the campaign against Goro Akechi- a brainchild of Morgana and Makoto, brought to life by Futaba and Ren, and finally sold in part by the acting of everyone else working together. No single member could have devised all of that.

So then, what was his role? Why was he leader? Well, his own persona strength made him objectively the strongest fighter of the group, or at least it used to. But it had been several thousands of years of human history since brute strength was the most important aspect of a leader. No. That wasn't his primary role either.

No, the most important aspect of his leadership was the mental health of his friends and the health of their cross relationships. The team only worked well with eight distinct personalities because they worked together in a near frictionless environment. There were arguments, teasing, abrasive connections- such as those between Ryuji and Morgana and Ann, however, that was all a byproduct of their personalities, a need for the spice of conflict. There rarely was any real power behind any of it. Those little conflicts were like a person's favorite imprint in a couch- they sat there for the comfort of it.

The cross-relations between members was almost not a concern. The year of life-or-death battles had created a spider web of trust so unbreakable that it basically didn't require maintenance, so long as they all kept in close contact with each other. That last part was a particularly worrisome reality to Ren moving back to his hometown. Would the trust weaken if the group was no longer in constant contact? It seemed possible, and Ren was not excited to find out.

Their mental health was more the constant worry of Ren's. They'd all become Phantom Thieves because they were damaged people, all of them wounded in some way by an outside force that caused enough of a trauma to evoke a persona. This reality was why he continued to make a specific point to isolate his friends from time to time, and see what was going on inside them.

For whatever reason, he was the type of person people opened up to, and he utilized that shamelessly to become deeply involved in the lives of his teammates. Most of the time, just talking it out was enough of a solution, and Ren didn't actually have to do anything but be a listening ear. But regardless how much work was needed, clearing up problems in the private lives of his friends made all of them stronger and more able to work together. A clean mind was a focused mind.

In the past two days, he'd spoken personally with Ryuji, Yusuke, and Ann. Ryuji and Yusuke seemed fine. They were pursuing romance, which could be volatile, but they were mature men- they may look like fresh 3rd years in highschool, but like all the Phantom Thieves, they were much older than that on the inside. Ren wasn't worried about them at the moment. Ann was a little more worrisome, but her scars were a lot deeper and Ren was out of his depth when trying to understand her wounds. He took a passive approach with her because that's all he could do. Still, Ann seemed to contain the strength to heal herself, and was steadily working at it.

Speaking of working, what was Haru working at? Ren thought about the conversation between Otohime and Haru, which was the major surprise of the day. Haru seemed to have come out of it with some new positive energy, so Ren was glad of that and didn't feel the need to speak with her directly, as she seemed of healthy mind thanks to the old woman's words. But Haru and Ryuji? What was the link?

Ren turned his mind to Haru's personality. She was like a chocolate-covered rock. She looked soft and sweet, but if you tried to take a bite out of her, you were going to lose teeth. That inner strength of Haru's was coming out in meetings more, especially this morning, and as far as Ren knew, her power over her father's business was growing. Haru's persona had awakened because she finally had enough of being used and treated like a resource by the men in her life. Which derived from an earlier inability to speak up for herself.

That was it. Or at least part of it, Ren was sure. Haru saw that Ryuji had no problems speaking up for himself. He was also vivacious, daring, and self-assured. Whereas Haru could sometimes seem similar to a small, startled bird. In short, Ryuji exhibited strength in many of the areas that Haru desired to strengthen in herself.

That was interesting, but Ren was unsure of what to make of that. Was that fertile soil for a lifelong romance? Or was it disaster waiting to happen? Ren had no idea. But if Haru could benefit from Ryuji's strength, Ryuji could certainly benefit from the grace, tact, and spirit that Haru contained. Their sum would be greater than the parts, that much was obvious. And as for Ryuji's potential feelings, well, he was a young man like Ren. It was only a matter of time before something would click in his mind and he would see Haru in that way.

Men clicked spontaneously and visually. Like when Ren clicked for Makoto in the Shibuya movie theatre- her leaning forward earnestly, intently watching a movie about the complex honor system of gangsters, the light of the screen sparkling off her eyes. Ren clicked right then.

Thinking of Makoto, Ren lifted his head to look at her at the desk. Her eyes were half lidded as she scanned the current page. Ren was pretty sure that was the face of Makoto reading something she found boring. He let his head back down and gazed again at the ceiling.

There was nothing he could do about Haru and Ryuji. It was not the sort of thing which would be wise to try and mess with. That was for them to figure out. Next, Ren's mind turned to Morgana, their feline guide, currently in the woods exploring his wild side.

Morgana received a huge dose of self-worth from Ann at the meeting this morning, so he should be fine for a while. Honestly, Morgana was the touchiest of all of them, but he was also a spirit animal with human intelligence, created for a specific purpose by a passive and reclusive deity, and he'd now outlived that purpose for which he was made. So, needless to say, Morgana's psyche was a fertile field for doubts about the point of existence. He also suffered from a pinocchio complex. Ren still wasn't sure what to do about that, but thankfully that particular issue didn't seem to be bothering Morgana at the moment.

Come to think of it, one of Ren's biggest failures in leadership was allowing the weeds to grow in Morgana for so long back in the summer, that the cat had gone rogue for a short time. In the end, that had brought Haru into the group, and she was now an essential member- but Ren still blamed himself for letting that splitting of the Phantom Thieves happen. While he'd been in Hawaii, Morgana was left with their newest member, Futaba, a freshly emerged shut-in with almost no social skills. Not the best partner for a troubled mind.

As for Futaba, she was aggressive about curing her own social fears from her shut-in period that ended about half a year ago now. She progressed quickly, but seemed to constantly go through cycles of personal growth. She would try something new, gain confidence from that, and push herself still further and have a minor panic attack.

It was this aggressive envelope pushing that was speeding her return to society at an impressive rate. The minor emotional episode happened last night, so that was the cycle reset. She was fine by herself in the arcade today with other kids. That was the new thing which would give her confidence. So the next item on the docket was the envelope push which would trigger the next panic- he will need to keep an eye on her. Ren decided he should tell Makoto, Haru, and Ann, too.

Finally, Makoto: When she'd 'officially' become his girlfriend, he'd assumed that he would be in constant awareness of where Makoto was mentally and he would no longer need to specifically plan to talk to her, but he'd learned that wasn't the case at all. The boyfriend title did not automatically gain him insight on her emotional state, so he had to work at it just like with everyone else.

In Ren's view: Makoto's mind was constantly churning at something: a problem, a mystery, a plan of action- and it was Ren's current theory that Makoto pushed personal emotional issues down to the bottom of the 'To churn' pile. Emotional concerns could not easily be fed through her mental mechanism of problem solving. School and studying trained her brain how to evaluate, analyze, reason, and deduct through logic and scientific method. Logic and scientific method were mostly useless when it came to emotional intelligence. It was like trying to gauge the air pressure in a tire by putting the tire on a scale and weighing it. You can eventually get to the right answer with some mathematics, but it would take a lot longer than just using the right tool. Thus when Makoto tried to churn a problem of emotional nature, her works clogged up and instead of slowing down and getting it done, the problem gets tossed aside for the next thing to churn. Efficiency was also something Makoto liked, and it was her tendency to toss aside hard-to-churn emotional concerns that had some past students calling her robotic.

So Ren needed to try and have the "to churn" pile reshuffled and facilitate Makoto's processing of those emotional things she liked to put off and put off. Luckily, that process involved talking with Makoto privately, and that was one of Ren's favorite things to do. He looked forward to it.

He'd intended last night as the time to check in with her psyche, but she'd ended up being the one to check up on his. Her words conquered some of the doubts and fears he'd been carrying. Her ability to do that, alone of anyone he'd ever known, was one of the many reasons he was in love with the young woman. And then the whole being-in-love-with-the-young-woman had distracted him after that- and then Futaba then interrupted that. So, nothing was accomplished. Tonight he would try to talk with Makoto again.

Ren decided he was satisfied then with the current health of the team. With the exception of Futaba's next panic attack on the horizon, there was nothing to worry about. So he turned his head to his second most important leadership task: time-management strategy.

Ann's desire to do the modeling job here at the resort was actually a huge boon. Two full days without driving opened up tons of hours to work with. In terms of current objectives, the Phantom Thieves had three: the investigation of the local business problems, Goro Akechi, and getting to Ren's hometown and back to Tokyo before classes started again in April. Of these, Ren's mind settled on Goro Akechi.

He watched his own memory of the iron door in Shido's Palace shut, and he listened to the gunshot which supposedly killed Akechi. Then silence. The iron door. The gunshot. Ren didn't like it. The Phantom Thieves had fooled Akechi with a much more sophisticated stratagem around the same idea: pretend to be dead. So they were all suspicious at the time, expecting him to reappear at any moment in Tokyo. However, Akechi's absence while they waited for Shido's change of heart had seemed to confirm Akechi's death. But still. They never saw a body.

Ren knew Akechi was alive. He just felt it. It wasn't logical, but Ren had been to the Velvet Room enough times to have a healthy respect for both the visible and invisible machinations of the universe. His inability to talk himself out of any other conclusion than that Akechi was alive could very well be a warning from the forces on his side. So that was priority number one.

If Akechi was priority one, then fighting capability was priority one for his team. In a strange twist of fate, the utter helplessness of the Phantom Thieves in the real world was flipped on its head- they had power here now. But if they didn't know how to use their powers, than it was the same as not having them.

This resort was surrounded by an uncommon luxury in Japan- isolation and privacy. They should be able to find a secluded place to learn how to safely call their personas. Maybe Morgana would be able to lead them somewhere that fit the description. He would play the leader card and have the team to train tomorrow, and they would do it for as long as it took till they could summon personas as well as they used to in the old Metaverse.

Ren's mind suddenly called him back to his immediate surroundings. He'd heard a pencil get put down, that distinct wooden plop on a notebook. His ears strained in hope for the next sound.

Makoto sighed in that certain way.

That was it! Ren's head popped up. He saw her close the textbook. The sound ban was lifted.

"Anything particularly interesting?" He asked, rolling onto his side. She loved that question.

Makoto turned her head and gave him a suspicious, sidelong look. "If you ask that every time, I'll begin to doubt its a sincere question."

Ren put on an innocent face. "What?"

She laughed.

"Well," she said as she lifted her arms over her head and arched her back, breasts pushing against the fabric of her thin sweater. "The interesting thing isn't exactly what I read, but this section was about the Lost Score, a 20-year economic stagnation of our economy from the 90s into the 2000s.

"I think I see why the interesting thing isn't what you read."

"Yes, economic history is quite dry. But I had an interesting thought because of it. Several of the people we targeted as the Phantom Thieves were obsessed with money. Madarame, Kaneshiro, Okumura, and in some respect, Shido. All of these men lived through the Lost Score. So I wonder how much of their distortion has a root beginning in this section of history, the Lost Score of Years. Okumura most comes to mind, because his father's business, Haru's grandfather's restaurant, went down during that crisis. It's like I'm reading about the forces of our society that inadvertently create our own villains."

Ren thought about that. "So if The Lost Score had not happened, and our economy was healthy, then Okumura's father wouldn't go bankrupt, so Haru's dad wouldn't become distorted, so she never needs the Phantom Thieves, and everything is completely different."

"Yes!" Makoto smiled brightly, her face lighting up, treating Ren to one of those toothy smiles. She stood up and leapt onto the bed next to him, bouncing violently on her elbows when she landed. "That's one of the things that makes you so different, Ren. You actually listen to what I say and -think- about it. So many guys just glaze over. Its pathetic."

Ren was now a young man with his beautiful girlfriend on the bed next to him in a private hotel room. She eyed him with a smile, face very close to his. His pulse increased slightly. His eyes traced the alluring outline of Makoto's arched back and buttocks, and his mind came up with several different ways he could turn what Makoto just said into a smooth lead in for a kiss- but he held himself back. There was time enough for that. Now was the opportunity to talk.

"What class is that book for?"

"Modern Japanese History. I thought it was going to be dull, but now it looks like it might be one of my most interesting classes this term. If I'm going to be a police commissioner, then I'm going to need to look at social forces at a macro level, because like with Okumura, they can create problem people way down the line."

"So maybe you can prevent crimes before they ever happen?"

"Yes! If I can identify problems before they generate criminals, then I help everyone. The future victim, of course, but also the person who would have been a criminal- they don't have to waste their life in a jail or worse." Makoto was kicking her feet in the air as she talked, which was the most stereotypically schoolgirl thing Ren had ever seen her do. He decided not to point it out, because it would make Makoto blush, feel self-conscious, and stop. Though, now that Ren thought about it, she wasn't a schoolgirl anymore. She was a co-ed. Ren thought that was a more sexy word, anyway.

"By the way, what made you decide on Waseda?"

"Sae went there. My father went there. And it is very prestigious. The best students in Japan fight for the chance to even get in, which means that getting the #1 ranking there is worth more than a #1 somewhere else. I'm going to get that #1, Ren! I'm going to beat everyone. You watch any movie and when someone discusses the intellect of another character, they say something like: "She was #1 in her class" of whatever university. That's what I want for my resume. I want people who look at me, for the rest of my life, to start their evaluation by saying:" Makoto's voice went deep, "Niijima Makoto, she was first in her class at Waseda."

Ren laughed at her voice change and she smiled.

"Are you sure that happens in real life and not just movies?"

"No, but we've seen how actions in the real world effects a person's cognition. It's in so many movies, it seems likely it will become a part of the cognition of lots of people."

"Makes sense."

Makoto rolled over on her side, propping her head on an arched arm, her irises a deep, rich red in the soft light of the hotel room. "What about you?" she asked, "What do you want to do?"

Ren knew she meant professionally. "I'm not sure. I've thought of a few things, but not seriously."

"Like what?"

"Well, I've thought about police work, too. But not administrative level, more like being a detective or a sergeant- someone who is out on the street a lot. I think we all have the skills that might make us strong officers. But I've also thought about psychology.. Maybe counseling."

"I didn't know that. Counciling? You'd be good at it. People just talk to you, Ren. I've thought a lot about why, and I can't quite figure it out."

"I know. I don't understand it either. But that might be really useful to a counselor. I might really be able to help people. I talk to so many different people now already, and maybe I could make a living out of that."

Makoto looked at him seriously. Then she blushed and looked a little nervous. "I want to confess something to you, Ren."

Another confession from one of his friends. "Ok.."

Makoto sat up into the seiza position she always took instinctively. Her hands tightening into fists on her thighs. "When- when we first starting dating… I noticed you were always going around Tokyo to spend time with other women. Beautiful women."

Ren froze. It was true. He had many confidants and friends who were beautiful women. And nothing romantic ever happened with those other women, but it wasn't something easy to prove. It was something he had worried about before. What did Makoto think of his confidants? What did she think of how he spent time with other people when she was busy? It seemed like women and men, single women and men, always had the connotation of romance and sex around them if they spent time together, alone. Whether that was accurate or not was up to debate, but Ren knew how it looked. And till now, Makoto had never said a word about his travels around Tokyo. So he waited for Makoto to finish. She was blushing and averting her gaze.

"I started to doubt you," she said, "It didn't seem like you to be a cheater. But, I couldn't just ignore the reality right in front of my face. So- so-... One day, I took your phone and read through all your texts."

Her face went very red and she watched him for a reaction.

It wasn't exactly a bombshell to Ren. Makoto frequently picked up his phone when they were together, as Ren sometimes left it lying around and he would get texts. If he was busy with something, he'd ask her to let him know who it was from. Ah, and lots of those 'who-it-was-from' were women.

"Go on," said Ren.

That seemed to surprise her. "W-well….Most of them were innocuous, but I confess I was very concerned about Kawakami-Sensei and Dr. Takemi. The language they used in their texts was… alarming. So- so not wanting to confront you without evidence, I- I- went to investigate them instead."

Ren sat up. She went to see the women he was texting? "You did!? When?"

Makoto blushed deeper. "Last summer. Before Sae's Palace."

So… still pretty early in their relationship. But the idea of Makoto tracking down rival women seemed entirely out of character. Ren was having a little trouble wrapping his mind around it. There must be a reason. Despite himself, he was starting to feel a bit betrayed. A small doubt rose in the bottom of his mind: had he misjudged this girl?

"Makoto… what were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that sometimes the police don't want to spook a suspect. So they pursue other leads and keep them unaware. That's what I told myself I was doing."

"You thought of me like a criminal?" That did hurt. Everyone at school thought he was a criminal back then, too. A delinquent guilty of assault.

Her eyes went wide. "No! Well- yes. But-... I didn't know what to do, Ren! I'd never dated! I didn't gossip! I didn't know how a lot of this worked! You know that better than anyone! It was the only thing I could think of doing!"

That was... true enough. Ren was no expert at dating back then either, but Makoto was, and still is, a good ways behind on the social aspects of romance. Near Yusuke levels of behind. When Ren was still trying to date Makoto, he remembered sending out so many signals and getting ambivalent responses. For a time, he wondered if Makoto was playing with him, but then he was finally able to trigger her understanding and draw out the recognition of his message. 'Do you… like me?' Makoto had asked him, a sudden, eureka-moment obvious on her face. And that's when it all began.

"But you could have talked to me-" said Ren. "Going after the other women is-"

"Crazy!" blurted Makoto, concerned tears in the corner of her eyes. Her cheeks a furious red. "I know! A few weeks later, I started researching relationships. I read forums online. I read a few books. And all of them said that girls who do what I did are nuts! And the guys should get away from them! I had no idea. When I learned that, it was like a rock fell into the bottom of my stomach. I learned I was crazy and you should get away from me."

Ren's mind conjured up an image of Makoto studying and her face suddenly going white as she read about crazy girlfriends. He could believe that. It was actually kind of funny, but he didn't want to laugh and unsettle her confession. Ren's sense of betrayal was fading away. Makoto didn't hunt down other women out of jealousy or rage, but out of a reasonable suspicion and misjudged tactics. Still- while Ren was predisposed to think charitably of Makoto's actions, there was still the question:

'Why didn't you talk to me, then? And why wait till now? We went through so much since then. Your sister's Palace! All those nights. All those talks. You kept this secret through it all?"

Makoto's eyes were closed tight and her jaw was clenched. Then her crimson gaze flicked open and sadly looked into him.

"I- couldn't. I needed you to-... No. I wanted you to be there for me. And I thought this truth would risk that. I was afraid, Ren. Afraid it would ruin us. Ruin the Phantom Thieves. So I held it in, but it's been gnawing at me and now- tonight- with us talking of our futures... I thought about having this secret for the rest of my life. And I didn't want that."

Ren considered that. Those were hard times. And was this a redefining moment for the two of them? Ren looked at Makoto's genuinely stricken face. She may have behaved strangely, but Ren knew there was no distortion in Makoto's soul that would make her do something like hunt down potential romantic rivals. Well- she did do that. But not for the reasons that are expected. In this case, the motivation meant everything to Ren, and he was satisfied with her explanation.

But he was still morbidly curious now. "How did your investigation go?"

Makoto looked surprised. Her teary eyes blinked. "You really want to know?"

"If I'm hearing the truth now, I might as well hear all of it."

"Oh- okay. Umm- I was worried about talking with a teacher, so I went to Dr. Takemi first. She's… she's kind of scary, isn't she?"

"Yeah."

"But she listened to my concerns, seemed pretty angry, and then tersely explained what her texts meant. She told me about how you helped her save a little girl, and how the Phantom Thieves rescued her entire career. She didn't say it directly, but I think she knows you're our leader, Ren."

"She hasn't said it directly to me either, but I think she knows, too."

"Mm.. anyway, then she kicked me out. I remember thinking she was really rude, but later, when I understood what I did..." Makoto closed her eyes and shook her head. "But it was a huge relief. My investigation of your potential infidelity actually revealed a new way that you are amazing. The angry reaction from Dr. Takemi surprised me a lot, but I couldn't figure it out, so I decided to think about it later."

Ren nodded to himself. An unexpected emotional situation and Makoto's mind shoved it to the bottom of the to-churn pile. It only further confirmed Makoto's innocence in his mind.

She continued: "But I still was resolved to speak with Kawakami-Sensei.'

'Approaching her was difficult. Even the rumor of a teacher dating a student can ruin careers, so I didn't want to scare the poor woman out of her skin at school, though I did accidentally scare her badly... Um… on a night that I knew Sae wasn't coming home, I called that service and requested 'Becky'."

"Seriously?"

Makoto nodded. "It seemed the safest way to do it, and I could see what this service actually was. And oh, the poor woman- when she walked in, in that ridiculous outfit, and saw me, I think she almost died of fright. She staggered against the door frame, eyes wide. But I was able to calm her down. I explained my concerns, and the relief on her face was obvious. But she still looked afraid of me. She told me how most of the time you hire her just so she can take a nap, or to watch a load of laundry." Makoto's face looked a little strained. "The massages seemed a little on the weirder side, but I guess we did get pretty stiff after a run through the Metaverse." She sighed."And massages are legitimate medical procedures." Makoto sounded like she was training herself to accept that fact.

She continued: "Kawakami-sensei told me all about her situation and why she needed the money and how thankful she was every time you called. Then she left, and she looked back at me with some fear in her eyes. Again, I didn't know why, but now I think I do… she thought I was some kind of psycho and I was after you."

Ren thought back. He did recall both Takemi and Kawakami asked him about Makoto a few times. He couldn't remember what they said, but maybe they were not just probing about his girlfriend, but probing to see if he needed help from a crazy ex. Oh well. That seemed a long time ago now.

"You know, Ms. Kawakami doesn't do the maid thing anymore."

"That good. I'd hoped that was the case after we took care of those nasty shadows in Mementos."

She sighed. "But anyway, my worries were unfounded in regards to Kawakami-sensei, too."

Then she gave Ren a look he couldn't quite interpret. "I also saw that on days when you were flooded with multiple requests to hang out, if I was one of them, you always picked me." By the end of her sentence, she was tearing up. "I'm really sorry I didn't trust you, Ren."

He reached for her, and while she shook her head slightly, she allowed him to hug her. "You're always the person I want to hang out with. To be with."

"You're not mad? Do you forgive me?" she whimpered softly against his chest.

Ren held her and thought about that. He found himself at peace with this. He could understand her secrecy. He could understand her mistake. And he didn't expect nor demand perfection from this woman whom he loved- and in Ren's mind, this was oddly adorable. Ren also couldn't give himself a free pass, either. He could easily be mistaken for a Lothario by an outsider looking in. And the silver lining of this all was that Makoto became sure of him. That seemed better than a perpetual cloud of doubt. And doubt was like a cavity- it slowly ate away at Trust until it crumbled.

"This is a pretty big secret, Makoto. But as you said, you couldn't just turn a blind eye. And I'm sorry I created such a situation for you, I wish I hadn't... but in lots of ways, all of those people were important to our mission. And all of them needed my help, too." Ren pushed her away from his chest gently, but kept her close, and put a palm on her smooth cheek, using his thumb to wipe a tear away.

She was still blushing furiously and averting her gaze. But his thumb brought her eyes back and her crimson gaze burrowed directly into him. He was almost overturned with her beauty again, his pulse increasing once more, a desire to feel her lips on his almost overwhelming. But Ren resisted. This was the key moment he'd hoped the conversation would reveal.

He pulled away, severing body contact, and asked: "Is this everything that is bothering you?"

Ren watched the furrows of worry burrow into Makoto's forehead and around the corners of her eyes. Her curled fists pushing deeply into her thighs again.

"There is just so much happening this year, Ren... I need to do well in college... I need to study so many classes... I need a find a part-time job... The Shido thing still isn't put to bed…We're Phantom Thieves again with powers we don't understand.. AND, to top it all off, you'll be on the other side of the country! It's a lot. It really is a lot, Ren."

Ren hadn't realized how much this coming year was bothering her. Makoto's shoulders were burdened by a host of responsibilities. And for the later half of the previous year, the Phantom Thieves had helped her carry some of it. Makoto had been especially tense during the mission regarding her sister, and that was when Ren and Makoto's relationship had really progressed rapidly, shooting past 'dating high schoolers' to something much deeper, richer. Ren decided now was the time to reveal the secret he'd been keeping from her and the rest of the group.

"Makoto," he said, taking one of those fists from her thighs and massaging it open until he held her warm hand in his. "I'm transferring to Shujin Academy for my 3rd year."

"Eh!?" said Makoto, her eyes going wide, cheeks blushing underneath them. "What? How?"

Ren couldn't help but laugh a little at the expression. "It's actually already done. I called my old school as Joker and advised them I was moving, and they didn't question it. Meanwhile, Kawakami-sensei accomplished all that needed to be done on the Shujin side and with the district. She said the new principal is very grades focused and she looked up my #1 ranking last semester and approved the permanent transfer on the spot- saying that no delinquent tests that well."

"Ren, that's amazing!" relief was flooding through her face, her shoulders relaxed, she closed her eyes and smiled. "Where will you stay? The cafe? Like before?"

Ren nodded. "Sojiro said yes. Of course, he had to be Sojiro about it. First, he said it would be a pain. Then he said he had gotten used to having me do the dishes and didn't want to do them himself, anyway…. Then he finally said he was happy to have me stay there for as long as I wanted, even after high school. But I would need to pay rent. Then he said that doing dishes would be my rent. Then, after about an hour, he came up to my room and said he was just happy I wasn't leaving and the rent thing was a joke."

Makoto laughed lightly. "I can almost hear his voice in my head. But then this trip…?"

"A roundtrip. We'll see my hometown. I'll tell my parents about my transfer. And then we all come back."

"They don't know?"

"Not yet. I wanted to tell them in person."

"That makes sense. They probably won't recognize you- I mean, we've all changed so much."

"Yeah. But the other major reason I want to see them in person is because I want to introduce everyone. And especially you."

Makoto blushed again. "What!"

Ren nodded. "My mother, well, she will be crushed. Just after having me back, I'm going to tell her I want to leave again. But once she meets you, I'm sure she will understand."

"That's a lot of pressure to put on a girlfriend, Ren!"

"It's just an introduction and a meal. You'll blow them away."

Makoto sighed. "And your father?"

"He's a dad. I wouldn't even need to use Joker. I can just face him, look him in the eye, and say 'it's my decision' and he won't stand in my way. But I'll probably jump a few levels in his pride scale when he meets you."

She blushed again. "And you planned all of this when?"

"When I received the letter advising my probation was over and I was expected back in my old school. The end of my supposed punishment felt like the real punishment. Saying goodbye to everyone…to you" He reached over and pushed strands of Makoto's hair behind her ear, letting his hand slide down her cheek. She smiled. "Being apart from you was unacceptable." He let his hand fall away.

"I know your dreams, your goals," said Ren, "I know you'll study for years in Tokyo, and then go to academy, and then be an officer somewhere in the country as you start up the ranks. I want to be with you the whole way, wherever your path takes you. If you want me."

Makoto fell into him. "Of course I want you."

Now it was time for the kiss, he leaned in, she responded, and Ren tasted the sweet warmth of Makoto's mouth. He'd resisted this desire for so long, he pressed in hard for more- Makoto responded with equal desire. He pulled her into him, enjoying the pressure of her firm frame. Her kisses increased in urgency and frequency. Her hands, first in his hair, drifted down his head, along his shoulders, then down his chest, to finally tug at the bottom of his shirt.

* * *

**Time Passes...**

**The screen goes dark...**

* * *

"This is what I want," said Makoto, "This is the life I want to live." Her eyes closed and she sighed contentedly.

"It will be interesting to take a police commissioner to bed," said Ren.

She chuckled softly, but slumber was clearly upon her. In but another minute, her breath steadied into the obvious signs of sleep.

Ren lay in the soft light of the lamp. Enjoying the feel, sounds, and smell of Makoto sleeping next to him. And thinking back to that moment today, when his entire team had looked at him, and their outlines solidified. Everything was as it should be.

Then his eyelids started to grow heavy, and with his last passing thought before he succumbed, he realized that this heaviness was actually quite distinct.

His eyes shot open again. Chains dangled from the ceiling of a small dark cell. Makoto was gone. He knew this place. He stood, observing he wasn't in a prisoner's uniform like before, but in his Phantom Thieves outfit. So too, was the cell door gone, instead he was free to leave the cell, and just outside, plainly visible in a pool of light, was a large oak desk and empty chair, all atop a blue and gold velvet carpet. A diminutive woman with blond hair and glowing eyes stood there, a warm smile on her face.

"Hello, Trickster," she said.


	7. Chapter 7

"Lavenza!" said Ren, stepping from his cell.

She laughed lightly, like wind-chimes. "You remember my name? I thought you might call me Caroline or Justine."

"Why am I here? What's happened?"

"You won the game! That's what happened. That hasn't changed."

"Oh," Ren relaxed slightly. "I thought the Velvet Room was gone already."

"It was. Now, It's been recreated- but only briefly. Just long enough for this conversation."

"Igor?"

"He may only appear when he is needed, and his mission is ended. I, however, was allowed to return, as a show of favor... of the gratitude felt towards you by That which made Igor, and through Igor, myself."

"What is That?"

"I was sent to give you a final message..." Lavenza continued, pointedly ignoring Ren's question. "A reminder."

Ren opened his mouth to speak, but Lavenza put a finger over her lips. Ren stopped.

"Time is short. There will be a brief moment for questions. I won't be able to answer any of them. But you may ask. Before that: here is your reminder:'

Lavenza's eyes glowed with greater intensity. She said:

"_The game is over. The world is remade and the people are free. Yet, Fate still weaves, but it knows not where. All that can be, shall be the result of your cognition."_

"That's it?" Ren gaped at her. "What does that mean?"

Lavenza giggled. "I knew that would be your first question. But you have to figure it out for yourself. Worry not. You won't forget the message. You can't."

"Are we supposed to use our powers?"

"That is for you to decide."

"Can we still trigger a change of heart without the Metaverse?"

"That is for you to discover."

"What am I- are we, supposed to do?"

"Whatever you desire."

Suddenly the room, the desk, the carpet, and Lavenza herself shone with bright light and turned rainbow chromatic.

"It appears we are out of time," she said sadly. "We will never see each other again."

She was dissolving into rainbow streams like the rest of the Velvet Room. She gazed up at him with warm affection.

"Wait!" said Ren, "Is Goro Akechi alive? Is he still the avatar of Yaldabaoth?"

Lavenza didn't answer, instead she bowed deeply, the dissolving floor of the Velvet Room clearly visible through her fading torso. She straightened. Her expression was that of a worried mother saying goodbye to her child.

"Goodbye, Trickster. I hope your existence is a bright one."

And she was gone.

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Ren jolted awake. The bright sun of a young morning was flowing in from the window. Makoto had rolled in the night. She was on her back next to him, her head turned away from him. Even the shape of her turned neck was beautiful, as was the attached shoulder.

As if feeling his eyes on her, she stirred in her sleep and awoke. Her eyes opened, collected information from the room, and then her head turned to look at him. She smiled. "Morning," she said.

"I was in the Velvet Room again last night."

She sat up. "What? I thought it was gone."

"Me too. Listen. This is what I was told." He advised Makoto of the message he received from Lavenza.

"Yet, Fate still weaves, but it knows not where," Makoto said to herself. "All that can be, shall be the result of your cognition…. It sounds almost like a riddle about the remade world."

"Yeah, but I've never been given a riddle before- its always just been cryptic warnings. I don't think the pattern would suddenly change."

"But a warning of wh- wha- what?..." Makoto's face broke into a wide yawn. She stretched both her arms and legs. One of her knees pushed out and knocked into Ren's raging morning erection. He flinched, she flinched.

"Again?" she said, and blushed. 'And you're sure that also happens on mornings when I'm not with you?"

"Very sure, yes, but not every morning. Just- a lot of mornings."

"And it's normal?"

"As far as I know."

"The male body is so weird."

"Weird?"

"Yes. Weird." she looked at her phone. "It's almost eight. Go cool off in the shower and let's get ready to meet everyone for breakfast."

That wasn't exactly what Ren had hoped to do this morning, but Makoto clearly was not in the romantic mood. And then Ren remembered it was training day today, and he leapt from the bed and headed towards the shower, his engorged organ pointing the way.

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The Phantom Thieves met for breakfast in the pizza restaurant, which apparently also featured all-purpose dining for breakfast and lunch and non-pizza options for dinner. Western and Japanese breakfast items were in plentiful supply, so everyone ordered up something to their fancy- yogurt and granola for Ann ("I have a shoot tomorrow, after all."), and then she spent half the meal staring longingly at Haru's fruit crepes. Makoto, Ren, and Yusuke went with a traditional set- grilled fish, rice, soup, and pickled veggie sides. Ryuji devoured a bacon omelette, while Futaba buried a plate of french toast under an avalanche of powdered sugar.

During a lull in conversation, Ren stood from his seat- his movement gathering the attention of the team. "I want us all to train today. We will hike to some secluded spot and get to work. Any objections?"

No one spoke up. "Then it seems unanimous, unless Morgana objects. Let's leave in 30 minutes."

"Where is Morgana, anyway?" asked Futaba, her shirt powdered with sugar.

"He spent last night in the woods," said Ren, "Which reminds me, I need to get him breakfast and let him know the plan. Excuse me."

Ren brought a grilled fish out of the restaurant and walked into the parking lot. Near where they met last night, a black cat was lounging in the morning sun. Its ears radar-dished in Ren's direction as he approached and the cat yawned awake. "Morning."

Morgana wolfed down the offered fish.

"Did you find any open but secluded areas we could use for training?"

"Mmm, most of it is pretty thick, but near the top of the mountain there is a sort of grassy clearing that would work perfectly for that."

In short order, the Phantom Thieves were following a cat up the side of the mountain from the resort. It was not exactly a strenuous hike, but was looking to take some time.

"By the way, Futaba," Ren said, when she drew near him on the hike. "How is the Akechi thing progressing?"

"I have the core data from NTT and KDDI. I remoted into my PC last night and set those running. It's doing Softbank right now. The minor networks all use the infrastructure from one of those three, so he should be in there somewhere. Once the last data library is mine. Then I need to write the script which will search those records for the locations and times we want. I should be done in two days."

"And they won't detect your information download?"

"No. I could explain how. But would you even understand it?"

"No. But even without hearing it, I know you're amazing, Alibaba."

"Duh."

They hiked in silence for a time. Then Ren remembered he needed to tell them all about the Velvet Room. He shared everything that Lavenza said, and he delivered the warning to them as it was delivered to him. The faces of the Phantom Thieves became pensive as they walked still upwards.

"All that can be, shall be the result of your cognition…" Haru said to herself. "That sounds like it's talking about the remaking. But Makoto already figured that out."

"What's the point in telling us what we already know?" said Ryuji.

"I don't think they would," said Ann, "It's cryptic. It's just like in stories when the hero gets help from a magical force, but it can't act directly, and the advice is always kind of a mystery."

"You're talking about the latin term '_Dues ex machina_'," said Makoto, "or in English, and then to Japanese, 'god from the machine'."

"Oh man," said Ryuji, "She never passes up an opportunity."

Makoto would not be deterred this time. "However, the more informative way of saying it, in my opinion, would be 'the machinery of god.' A god's way of influencing its world. Mostly, it's used in fictional stories to alter or drive the plotline. However, I suppose the Velvet Room qualifies as an example of it in the real world. Our own _Deus ex machina_."

"Or at least it used to," said Ren. "One thing that Lavenza said was clear and direct: she said I would never see her again. So, whatever the Velvet Room was, it's safe to assume it's over for good. All of it. We're on our own now. There's no one to save us, but us."

The Phantom Thieves mulled that over as they continued their climb under an empty sky.

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The sun was getting high when they finally arrived at a mostly open clearing near the very apex of the mountain. The hike had taken a little less than an hour. It was certainly remote. The mountain on the side of the resort was sheer, but a little back away from the resort, it was a smooth climb, like the mountain was a giant ramp of rock going up into the sky. One just had to snake up a bit to get on the main part of the ramp. The lower areas of the mountain were clogged with vegetation and trees, but the higher points were a bit more rocky and grassy, likely due to years and years of wind scraping away topsoil near the top.

The group moved towards the cliff face and looked down at the roof of the resort, about 100 meters below them. Most of the north side of the clearing was pretty steep, too. You wouldn't free fall like you would right over the resort, but you would certainly roll very fast and have a hard time stopping. The rest of the compass rose varied between easy walking and strenuous hiking in terms of steepness. The clearing itself was about 50 meters in all directions. A perfect amount of space.

Ren turned towards the gathered team. "I'm sure you all knew what I was talking about in the restaurant. We need to learn how to use our personas. With Akechi in the wind, the ability to use our powers as we did before may become a matter of life or death at any time. "

The group was quiet and serious.

"Yusuke, why don't you try what you did at the beach again," suggested Ren.

"Very well," said Yusuke.

The tall, lanky young man stepped to the fore of them, stared intently at the clearing.

"Susano-O! Bufulu!" he yelled.

Nothing happened.

"Try envisioning the drowning kid?" Suggested Ann.

Yusuke shouted again. Again nothing happened.

"What about that ninja kids anime where they make weird hand gestures to cast spells," suggested Ryuji.

"Don't be stupid," said Morganna, "We don't live in a cartoon."

"Says the talking cat!" countered Ryuji.

"Ryuji has a point," said Ren, "We should try everything we can think of. Our own ideas, things from movies, cartoons, manga, whatever. Remember, all of this is oriented around cognition, and the stereotypes of fantasy do affect how people cognitize their own worlds."

"Let's split up a bit and all do whatever we can think of," suggested Makoto, "that might be the best way to try lots of different things, and then we can compare notes,"

They all agreed and walked to different parts of the mountain clearing.

Ren staked his territory and turned away from his friends. If he accidently got it right, he didn't want to blast one of them with whatever he ended up doing. First he tried the mask-removing move that had worked in the Metaverse. "Arsene!" he shouted.

Nothing.

He'd expected that, since Ann had tried something similar in the hotel room yesterday morning. Then Ren tried filling his mind with the image of Arsene. Nothing. Next he thought about shooting dark energy from his hands. Nothing. What about visualising a movement of energy through his body and out of his hands? Nothing. Maybe a movement of energy from him, to Arsene? Nothing. Energy from him, to Arsene, and then into an attack. Nothing. He tried as many other variations and ideas and he could think of. Meanwhile, the sun rose higher into the sky.

Frustrated, he sighed and looked around the clearing. Ryuji was trying the hand symbols idea, tangling his fingers in weird positions and shouting nonsense words. Haru seemed to be meditating. Yusuke was moving his arms about kind of like he was doing Tai Chi. Makoto was intermittently standing still and then pantomiming getting on a motorcycle. Morgana was waving his tail in weird patterns and jumping. He then scratched his neck with a rear leg, but Ren doubted that was related to trying to use a persona. Futaba was cupping her hands together and yelling in gradually increasing volume and pitch. Ann was holding her arms out and twirling, head back, eyes closed- Ren suspected she was envisioning that parts of her clothing were transforming piece by piece on a celestial background.

"Anyone felt anything at all?" shouted Ren.

All negative shouts came back.

Makoto's phone rang. "Oh, its sis." She took the call, wandering off across the field to talk.

The sun was starting its descent, and it seemed none of them were any closer to figuring out how to command their persona at will. Ren returned to trying various things, but after a little while, he realized he was retrying stuff that had already failed. He was out of ideas.

"Guys!" shouted Makoto, "Sae has good news!"

Everyone gathered around her in the center of the field.

"Shido finally going down the tubes?" asked Ryuji, sarcasm plain on his voice.

"Yes!" said Makoto.

Everyone perked up.

"What changed?" asked Ann.

"The Diet moved against Shido! A faction led by Toranosuke Yoshida forced through an action to formally order the SIU to investigate Shido and all those linked with him. Sae didn't go into specifics, but apparently Yoshida's faction played it so that there isn't any way to stop it. AND The Diet is attacking the corrupt members of the judiciary! The legislative schedule already has some pro-Shido judges being set up for formal inquiries."

"What about the Prime Minister and the executive?" asked Yusuke.

Makoto looked towards him. "Shido was the man gearing up to replace him! So the Prime Minister is taking advantage of this moment by paving the way for the Yoshida faction to tear Shido's group apart! To top it all off, since the current acting SIU-director is suspected of being with Shido, he's been removed. Since Sae was the only one previously maintaining pressure to investigate Shido's shadow group: the Diet specifically appointed my sister to the acting post!"

The group cheered. Even Ryuji, Ann, and Morganna, who probably didn't fully understand the way the government worked, but they could recognize the victory of having Niijima Sae, their firm ally, at the head of the special investigations unit. It was an unexpected and most welcome windfall.

"I thought your sister was a defense attorney now," said Ren, "She left the prosecutor's office and the SIU."

"Yoshida made her the offer directly and she accepted. She -is- the SIU now."

"Isn't Yoshida the man you met while working at the beef bowl shop?" Ryuji asked Ren.

"Yes. The man who always gave speeches in Shibuya Station Square. He was elected into the legislature at the same time as Shido."

"Sae says we still need to keep quiet, but she already tossed out everyone in SIU that she knows is dirty, and is filling her team with good people. Tomorrow or the day after, she will begin handing out the orders that start hooking people in. It ending! It's finally ending!"

Everyone except Ren cheered.

Ren felt conflicted emotions. It was a huge change in their favor, but when his mind tried to think about whether Akechi is really gone, he didn't feel that weight lift from his shoulders. If anything, this development had made that weight heavier. He felt even stronger that this training of theirs was imperative.

"That's excellent news, Makoto- but let's not lose focus on our task now- we need to learn how to use our powers as soon as we can."

Faces fell. They were all discouraged from an entire morning of failure. None of them had managed to push out even the hint of a persona or its powers.

"But with Shido finally going down, aren't we permanently safe?" asked Haru.

"There's still Akechi." said Ren.

Everyone else shared looks. A lot of those looks then traveling to Makoto. Ren realized that was because they viewed her as an influence over him. Ren started to feel anger burn inside him. They didn't believe him. He could understand why, but how could he convince them he was right? He was right! He knew he was right.

"This feels like victory," he said, "It feels like the adults are finally cleaning their attic of the filth of Shido, but cleaning time is when all the roaches come out. Alechi is a mukade. He's out there, and he is going to crawl out with the rest of them."

"Ren…" Makoto started.

"He's alive!" Ren shouted. Makoto's eyes went wide, everyone else flinched slightly, staring at him. Angry shouting was not in their cognition of Ren Amamiya. "It doesn't matter what you all think, or what you want to believe! I'm telling you, Goro Akechi is out there, and he wants us dead! If we are not ready for him, we are all going to die!"

The hilltop was silent. Everyone was averting their gazes from him. Ren felt his anger dissipate, and be replaced by shame.

"I'm sorry, everyone. I need a moment." He left them and walked uphill from the clearing, aimlessly, but subconsciously desiring a vantage point- his feet taking him to the cliff's edge at the top of the hill.

Ren gazed out off the edge, the shining silver roofs of the resort a hundred meters directly below, and the town and the sea spread further down and away. The distant coast of the other side of the bay was a shadow on the horizon. He was ashamed of himself for blowing up like that. He'd never done that before. He turned to look back at his friends, they were still sitting in their circle, looking at him with worried expressions, then Ren realized they were not looking at him, but watching Makoto. She was striding up the small hill towards him- shoulders slightly forward, fists clenched, long angry strides causing her skirt to bounce in a steady rhythm over her black leggings.

Uh-oh, thought Ren.

"I'm sorry, Makoto." said Ren, as she approached. She stopped before him, fists still clenched. Her jaw was tight, teeth together, slightly bared over a snarl, her eyes narrow under scrunched brows. Ren said: "I shouldn't ha-"

"Shut up." said Queen, eyes blazing.

Ren shut up.

"You didn't even wait to hear what I had to say. You just assumed I was going to disagree with you, and acted like a moron in front of everyone. I believe you! Of course I believe you! Why wouldn't I?! We've been through so much! But when you cut me off like that, I felt like I was in front of Principal Kobayakawa again, being told off like the perfect little schoolgirl I used to be! I never wanted to feel that way again, and you should be the last fucking person to make me feel that way!" Her rage burned into him. Ren stared right back into it with regret written on his face. If he looked away, he was lost. Finally, after what felt like an eternity to Ren, she closed her eyes and took in a deep breath.

"I'm sorry." Ren said again. It was all he could do.

She opened her eyes again, they were still angry, but much less so. "I know you are, Ren. I'm just realizing now our friends are watching us have this… whatever this is. Fight? I guess? So now I'm also a little angry and embarrassed at myself, too. This wasn't the result I imagined when I marched over here."

Something in Ren's mind clicked. "The result you imagined…." he said, half to himself. The message from Lavenza played in his mind. Ren said: "_All that can be, shall be the result of your cognition."_

"The message from the Velvet Room?" said Makoto.

"I think you just figured it out."

"Eh?"

Ren turned and looked for a small plant. He didn't know what persona he could summon, but he figured he should try Arsene first. Arsene cursed things. He needed a target. He sighted a small weedy bush.

"It's not talking about the world being remade from cognition. We, rather you, figured that out already, before I went to the Velvet Room again. The message is saying -what's possible to do- is from the result of our cognition."

Makoto still had a confused look on her face.

"I'm not explaining it well. Here. Watch."

Ren looked back at the unlucky plant. And rather than imagine himself shooting dark energy from his hands, or summoning some spirit, he filled his mind with the image of that same bush, but decayed and dying. Then he said: "Arsene! Eiha!"

He felt the familiar surge of energy bubble through his body. Makoto gasped, her eyes looking above and behind Ren, and in front of Ren, the plant decayed and died before his eyes.

"Yes!" said Makoto. "Arsene was there!

"You try."

"I don't want to use mine. What if I give us cancer?"

It was a scary thing to consider.

"Doesn't your persona have some non-nuclear options? But what about just the bike then? I suppose that's a good start."

"Ok…what do I do?"

"Don't think about making a bike appear. Imagine yourself already on a bike, riding, the wind in your hair, the vibration of its engine. Fill your mind with the result you want, not the steps to get there- and then call it."

Makoto closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then said, "Johanna!"

Ren watched a ghostly, blue gunmetal motorcycle flicker into existence next to Makoto's legs. Instinctually, Makoto leapt onto the seat, and the motorcycle solidified into existence. Makoto revved the engine. The resulting roar had their friends leaping to their feet, their faces full of surprised and excited smiles.

Makoto looked at Ren and smiled. "I thought I'd never get to ride her again." Then her smile turned a bit wicked. In a smooth motion, she popped up the kickstand, manipulated the clutch and the hand brake, and revved Johanna up hard. The front tire held firm while the back tire spun rapidly in a stationary skid, which Makoto then shoved sidewise so that the spinning tire blasted Ren with mud, dirt, stones, and grass. He put up his arms to protect his face as Makoto released the brake and shot off down the clearing to the cheers of the rest of the Phantom Thieves.

Ren watched her ride around the clearing while wiping off as much mud from his clothing as he could. Fair enough.

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The sun was well on its way back down towards the sea, but the Phantom Thieves were still hard at work atop the mountain. It was Ren's turn to start the rock toss. He hefted a palm-sized stone, and underhand threw it towards Morgana the cat.

"Zorro!" yelled Morgana, "Garu!

A sudden burst of wind caught the stone and sent it shooting into the sky.

"Kidd! Zio!"

"Carmen! Agi!"

"Goemon! Bufu!"

"Milady! Triple Down!"

"Johanna! Vajra Blast!"

A lightning bolt, a fireball, an ice ball, three bullets, and a shimmer of kinetic force shot out at the flying stone- and all missed completely. Their aim still left a lot to be desired, but it had been hours since any one of them had failed to produce their desired effect. They'd also learned they can freely choose between their two persona forms (except Ren, who appeared to only control Arsene), and that, just like in the Metaverse, casting a lot of abilities made them all uniquely tired. Having neglected bringing lunch and water was also likely a factor in their fatigue.

Ren stood and looked at his friends- all of them were breathing a bit heavily after that round of spells. All were starting to develop rings under their eyes. Whatever reserves of power they required to cast these abilities, it appeared to be just about spent. Ren was pleased to his core. They were Phantom Thieves again, and more than just in name- their personas were available just as they used to be.

"Let's head back to the resort and hit the onsen," he told them.

Ann's head fell. "I forgot that we have to hike all the way back down again."

"Could we ride down on Futaba's spaceship?" wondered Yusuke.

"Ohh, sure!" said Futaba with a croaky voice. She's been chanting augment spells for hours.

"I like that idea," said Haru.

"Or Makoto's bike," said Morgana.

"I couldn't balance well enough," said Makoto.

"No, let's walk," said Ren. "The last thing we need is to have Futaba start some UFO conspiracies with her persona."

"You suck, Amamiya," said Ryuji.

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The hike down sapped the last bit of stamina the team had, but the promise of an onsen revived them- and there was some spring in their steps as they hurried to their rooms for the extra clothing they needed for the bathe.

The standard rooms of the resort shared a communal onsen on the first level. It was on the northern side of the floor, where hot water from the spring, wherever that actually was, was funnelled into communal baths. Ren doubted a legitimate hot spring existed here, but hot water from a tank felt just as good as far as he was concerned. The complex was gender seperated, so they split as was required.

A thorough scrub in the washing area felt good on its own, and with an eye to really up the impact of the first onsen dip, Ren performed his final rinse with ice cold water. Shivering, he headed for the main onsen and stepped onto the entrance step. Already the fuzzy tingling burn of the hot water promised an exhilarating experience. He was the only person in this section of the onsen, so he treated himself to noisy and sudden dip up to his neck. The tingling heat broiled over his body and he sighed in pleasure, the fatigue seeming to melt away in the hot water. He settled against the wall and stretched out, eyes closed.

He heard the door open.

"Yusuke," said Ryuji, "Ren's down in this one."

"Ah."

They splashed into the pool and settled in with sighs of pleasure.

"Man," sighed Ryuji, "This feels great. I haven't felt so tired in months. Feels like the aftermath of an infiltration."

Ren heard some water move near him. He opened his eyes. Yusuke's face was very close and looking directly at him. They stared at one another for a silent moment.

"Something on your mind, Yusuke?"

"Yes. Tell me about the act of sex."

Ren stared at him without reacting. He turned his head. Ryuji had heard the question and moved over, his face a mask of curiosity, too.

Ren closed his eyes and retreated under the water. He'd known this conversation was coming at some point, as he was aware he was the leader of new frontiers amongst his friends. A battle of emotions raged in him briefly- on one side, embarrassment and a culturally trained tendency towards privacy and modesty; on the other side, a responsibility to his teammates and friends, both whom had saved his life on multiple occasions. Would it not be weakness to avoid this subject and not answer his friends to the best of his ability? A basic fear of simple embarrassment? That was right, Ren decided, to run away would be a cowardly betrayal. He would stay and speak. So be it.

He came back to the surface. Settled against the edge of the onsen with a sigh. His two friends still staring at him.

"Okay. What do you want to know?"

"How does it feel?" asked Ryuji.

"Amazing. Soft, and wet, and warm. It's a bit overwhelming for a while, to be honest. But you get used to it, and it always feels just as good."

"How does one do it well?" asked Yusuke.

Right to the heart of the issue with a tactlessly genuine question. Ren thought about the mistakes and missteps he'd made with Makoto as they'd learned the art.

"It's something you get better at, definitely. So don't expect the first time to be amazing. It wasn't for us. Neither of us really knew what we were doing. If I could go back and do the first time again, I would spend a ton more time... playing around before actually trying to, you know, go inside. I think that would have made it better for her, and maybe some lubricant, too. She said it didn't hurt, but I could tell she wasn't enjoying it at all. The extra lubrication might still have been helpful. It really didn't go well for us, that first time. She was really uncomfortable. We stopped before really getting anywhere."

"Lubrication?"

"Yes. It's essential. The woman uh- makes it, but buying some stuff from the store can really take the guesswork out if you're unsure. Either way, I would say the most important thing is to always start slow. Take your time. Speed can always be increased. But going too fast too soon can be disastrous."

"So you got better?"

"Yes. I learned her signals. That's probably the next most important thing- pay attention to your partner. She will give signals on what works, and it won't always be so obvious as a sound- watch her face, her body movements, and if something is making her feel good, don't do something different just to look for a better reaction- just keep doing the good thing and you'll get to where both of you want to go."

Both Yusukle and Ryuji were staring at him intensely. They seemed a little surprised at the direct answer.

"Do you use condoms with Makoto?" asked Ryuji.

Ren blushed. Hearing Makoto's name made the conversation a bit more personal. But there was no reason not to speak honestly to a genuine question.

"We did. But now... No. Though, we remain protected," Ren subconsciously rubbed his bangs with the fingers on his right hand, but his wet hair was not as satisfying and he stopped. "Look, this kind of thing is really private and I can't talk about it. But I can say that we used condoms and then switched to something else for pregnancy, and our monogamy is protection against disease. Since we've only ever been with each other."

"Does Makoto like the sex that you do to her?" asked Yusuke.

Ren stared at Yusuke as his mind played him a brief fantasy of what Makoto would do to him if she found out he answered a question like that.

"Are you trying to get me killed?"

They sat in a thoughtful silence as Ren battled with himself. His social instinct as a man was rumbling and rebelling. He should not say anything, it was private, he didn't need to say anything. A man of class would say nothing. But the idea that his sexual prowess could be doubted was, in the end, too much for him to handle.

"But yes, Yusuke. She loves it."

...Meanwhile… in the female side of the onsen...

Haru, Ann, and Makoto remained lounging in the hot water. Futaba having recently declared she was bored and left for her own room. The young girl was doing better, but she still didn't have the social instinct to try and link with the other three young women. However, tonight everyone was tired enough that the absence of Futaba was a guilty sort of relief.

"Ahh, this feels so good," sighed Haru, "I haven't felt this tired since the last time we were in a Palace."

"Yeah," said Ann, "Ren kept us practicing so long. I've never seen him like that before."

Makoto sensed a question coming. She may as well head it off at the pass. "It's the Akechi thing. It's really bothering him."

"Does he know something?" asked Ann.

"Yes and no," said Makoto, "He tells you all everything he tells me. But… well you know how Ren is. He seems to perceive on a different level, you know?"

"Yeah," Haru and Ann said simultaneously.

Makoto felt a complexity of satisfaction and anger. Upon dating Ren, she'd become aware that other women desired him- that both made her proud- and irrationally territorial. She had to be careful not to lash out unreasonably. It was an almost instinctual reaction she hadn't quite figured out, and she actively tried to avoid thinking about it. Makoto searched for a way to change the subject.

"What about that Kioko girl of Ryuji's?" said Makoto.

"She's pretty," said Ann, "And I can see why they get along."

"She's loud and obnoxious," said Haru with that firm voice she'd been using more and more often.

Ann and Makoto shared a surprised look. Their eyes saying to each other: _That was interesting._

Haru seemed to realize she'd just let something slip. It was her turn to seek a change of topic. "What about Yusuke's date? Did either of you talk to her? I don't even know her name."

"When we were finding votes to stay here at the resort, I found him with her on the deck," said Ann, "I think Yusuke was talking about the different emotions of the moon. I don't think the girl quite knew what to make of him."

"Intense and unabashedly genuine," said Makoto, "He's a man out of time."

Ann smiled and laid her head back on the edge of the onsen. "That is him, isn't it?"

Now Makoto and Haru shared a look.

But instead of noticing them, Ann continued to stare at the ceiling. Then she said, "What's sex like, Makoto?'

Blazing embarrassment shot through Makoto, her cheeks feeling hotter than the water they were bathing in. "What? That's such a direct question."

Ann straightened again, looking at Makoto intently. "But you know the answer. Who else can we ask?"

Haru's eyes were focused on Makoto, too.

Makoto realized not only was she the only one of them who was currently dating someone, but was the only to have had sex, and she was also older than them. In a strange epiphany, she realized she was like Sae to them. She was the older sister in this group. That was a responsibility, wasn't it? If not her, who would tell Ann and Haru these things? Makoto felt every social instinct in her body screaming for her to keep her mouth shut and change the subject- But. But these young women had fought alongside her, saved her life, helped her save Ren. She couldn't be a coward and run away out of silly schoolgirl embarrassment. Sex was a normal human thing. She had to answer the question. It was her duty.

"I've not been with anyone else of course, but with Ren, it's… it's… really amazing. I can't really describe it. But it can feel so good, it's like my body moves on its own and I'm along for the ride."

Both Ann and Haru were looking at her intensely. Blushing slightly. Makoto's own face still felt really hot.

"What about the first time?" asked Haru.

Makoto's mind went back to that night.

"Well, the first time, actually- wasn't exactly amazing. Not even close."

"Did it hurt?"

"Not really… but I know my sister's first time did quite a bit. I was worried about that a little, but it didn't happen to me. I guess it can be different for different women. So, for me, it wasn't painful, but really uncomfortable because it was new... I don't know how to explain it. It's… it was like…. a pressure... but from lots of angles at once: downward pressure, inward pressure, and also an expanding sort of pressure- and it's all a brand new feeling. Surprising and intense. That's what it's kind of like the first time. But lots of it, all at once, and.. inside you. So it's really kind of alarming."

"And I was a little embarrassed to be naked and doing it at all. Like it was somehow wrong to do. Not with Ren I mean, but in general. Like as a good girl, I wasn't supposed to be doing this thing? You know?"

The other girls nodded. They obviously hoped she would continue.

Makoto shook her head. The number of emotions she'd felt that night had been hard to process, and it was even harder to remember now. She stumbled forward.

"Anyway, he went all the way inside me, it was uncomfortable because of that pressure I was talking about- but at the same time I kinda wanted it, too? If that makes sense? My body wanted it. But Ren was watching me and he saw that I wasn't liking it, so he went back out and we stopped. I think it bothered him that I didn't like it. It was his first time, too. And I could tell he really liked it. But he was not interested in doing things that I didn't like."

"We didn't try again for a few days. We were both a little timid about touching each other, too. It almost seemed like our relationship was going to end, it felt so awkward. But he stayed Ren, and wanted to see me and talk to me.. and so, a few days later we were in his room and were kissing, and then hands were exploring, and then clothing was coming off, but we were both avoiding taking that final step, so we- um- played around for a long time. When we finally did try it again. It was much, much better. I knew what to expect, and looking back on it, I was.. Umm.. wetter... Anyway, I didn't want him to stop. I could feel that thing building, like um.. You know when you do it yourself? But more intense and I desperately wanted to get there- but- um.. Ren finished and had to stop. He still needed to learn how to control, whatever it is that men control. But then a little bit later we started again and he kept going and...it was amazing. Like in actions films, when a sequence of explosions goes off in a line? That, running all through your body."

Haru and Ann were still looking at her, silent and bit a flushed. Makoto ducked her head. Cheeks getting hot again. "Anyway, and it's gotten even better since then as we learn."

"I'm surprised you answered that question," said Ann. "I would have let you escape, you know."

Makoto sighed in dismay, putting her hands on her cheeks in the hopeless effort to cool them off. Her hands were just as hot from the water. She'd much rather have escaped, but she accomplished her duty.

"What's the most important thing you learned since then?" asked Haru.

Makoto knew the answer to this one immediately. "That telling him what to do, what was good, what was bad, was really helpful. It seems silly now, but I didn't realize at the time that he knew as little about the whole thing as I did- so being comfortable and talking to each other really started making things amazing."

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Makoto returned to the room only shortly after Ren, and they both sluggishly changed into clothing for dinner. The fatigue of the day was serious, but the onsen had certainly helped. Ren's appetite was up, and he was eager for something hearty. His stomach growled as he watched Makoto get dressed. She heard the noise and looked over, catching him staring at her.

"Pervert," she said with mock severity.

When it was the arranged time for everyone to meet for dinner, they left their room and walked through the halls of the resort towards the long windowed walkway which connected to the restaurant. They were halfway along its length when Makoto stopped and stared out the glass. Ren followed her gaze. Red lights of emergency vehicles were clearly visible down near the ocean. On inspection, it appeared they were right where Ms. Otohime's seafood restaurant was.

Ren remembered the tense standoff between Mr. Ito and Ms. Otohime the night before. Could something have happened? She'd said Mr. Ito was dangerous. Perhaps that confrontation had triggered an attack. A final solution to the troublesome Ms. Otohime? Ren's mind was tossing around fantasies. He wanted some real info. And it seemed likely whatever happened was sure to related to the growing mystery of the seaside strip.

"I want to go down there," said Ren, "Are you up for driving?"

Makoto's eyes were sharpened. She remembered what Ren had told her about Otohime's conversation. "Yes, I want to go, too. But maybe it should be only a small group to go- we don't want to bring a huge party to a scene of a police investigation. Maybe just us?"

Ren agreed. They continued to the restaurant and the found the others already gathered at a table near the glass wall. They'd been speculating over the lights down on the beach, too. Ren advised them of his and Makoto's plan to go down without them. There were some relieved faces and no objections.

'Leave that pay card," said Ryuji, "I'm eating big tonight."

Ren left them the card and exited the restaurant with Makoto. Here they would pick up their final member. Morgana bounded over to them out of the dark as they neared the van.

"Finally! I'm starving! What's for dinner this time? And can I sleep in your room tonight?"

"No food yet, and we need you for a mission."

"A mission? Aren't you tired? We should really get some sleep, Ren."

"Something happened down on the seaside strip. We need to perform an impromptu investigation. A cat might be able to go where we can't."

Morgana's tail flicked back and forth angrily.

"We'll get sushi after," said Makoto.

"Done!"

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Makoto parked the van in the same spot as when they first arrived in town. She and Ren got out to walk the rest of the way to Ms. Otohime's seafood restaurant, Morgana stalking their heels. The empty, dark street was made eery by the flashing red lights of the police vehicles parked near the end of the strip. Only when they reached the end was the silence of their walk finally marred by the murmuring of many voices and footsteps in the sand. Three police cars, a police van, and a silent, dark ambulance were parked on the last vestiges of pavement.

Of the three shops the faced the seaside, Otohime's was the farthest from the main strip, and tonight, the police were gathered around the nearest. It was an ice cream shoppe during the day, but tonight, it was a crime scene of some sort. A few clusters of officers stood idle nearby, while the flash of photography erupted sporadically from inside the store. On the far side of the police perimeter, an officer appeared to be interviewing Ms. Otohime herself.

"I would guess this is a murder scene," said Makoto. "They have forensics inside, and an ambulance ready to cart away the body when they are done."

"Hey! You two!" A female officer approached them. Ren had a brief glimpse of a woman with drawn back hair and rounded features before a flashlight blazed into Makoto and Ren's faces. They both instinctively winced away from the bright light, "Ms. Niijima?" said the officer.

"Officer Takeda!" said Makoto with recognition and surprise.

"Who are you?" she asked Ren.

"Amamiya Ren," he said.

"What are you two doing here?"

"We saw the lights from the resort and drove down to see what happened."

Officer Takeda switched off her flashlight, her face dark in the night. "I understand your curoristy about police work, Ms. Niijima, but coming down here to gawk and get in our way is a bit much."

Ren could feel rather than see the force of Makoto's blushing face.

"You misunderstand," said Ren, "She came down here because of me. I'm an acquaintance of Ms. Otohime, and I was worried she might be hurt."

"Oh," said Office Takeda, a bit of shame in her voice. "Well, feel free to wait for her interview to be finished. Just stay away from the permeter."

She walked away from them, and they moved around the police line at a respectful distance.

"The officer from last night, I take it," said Ren.

"Yes, and thank you for covering for me, but it seems I did annoy her after all." said Makoto.

"What the hell!" shouted a voice from inside the ice cream shoppe.

"It's a cat!"

"Get it out of here!"

There was an enraged feline yowl and the dark shape of a black cat sprinted from the store and out of the police perimeter. Morgana. Maybe he learned something interesting.

But for the moment, Ms. Otohime's interview was ending. The investigating officer put away his notepad, bowed, and walked away. Her face was a mask of worry and noted their approach, face freezing briefly in surprise, and then returning to worry and apprehension.

"Mr. Mackerel, this is a surprise. Still in town?" said Ms. Otohime as a greeting. "And this is the connoisseur of your group, I take it?"

"Sorry?" said Makoto.

"An inside joke," said Ren. "Ms. Otohime, this is Niijima Makoto."

They exchanged bows.

"We came down when we saw the lights from the resort," said Ren, "I was worried for you."

"For me?" said Ms. Otohime. "Rushing all the way down from Ito's silver zit to check up on me? I start to understand your appeal, Mr. Mackerel. But as you can see, I'm the same as ever. It's poor Mr. Yokoyama, I fear. I think that ambulance over there would not be sleeping on the beach if he was still a member of this world."

"Did you know him well?"

"He's run that ice cream shop for years. A kind man. Sweet... Dull. He was a real scoop of vanilla, if you know what I mean. I can't imagine who would want to choke the life out of him."

"Have you heard of anyone from the seaside strip being threatened? Have you been threatened?"

"Threatened? Don't be absurd. Where did that question come from?"

"We're curious about the fake review online," said Makoto, "And your claims that Mr. Ito may be behind them. Did Mr. Yokoyama have any direct dealings with Mr. Ito?"

Ms. Otohime was taken aback. He stance shifted. Her face flickered slightly from confusion to irritation. "He may have. Mr. Ito tried to break apart the organization of businesses a few times with side deals and the like. We held firm, though. But why are you both so interested?"

"We wanted to see if we could help," said Ren.

"Well, you can't!" Her tone was sharp and annoyed, "You're on vacation. Don't bother yourself with this town's problems and an old woman's fears. Just get back in your car and enjoy yourselves. That's what children are supposed to do." She turned from them. "Goodnight, I need to get to sleep or I'll be too exhausted to collect tomorrow's catch."

Ren and Makoto watched the old woman walk away.


	8. Chapter 8

"Gas-station sushi!?" Morgana said with dismay.

"Hush," said Makoto, as she struggled to make her dipping sauce in her own plastic tray of assorted nigiri, "We're eating it too."

"Show respect," said Ren, "These fish gave their lives for this meal, the same as any other. Here." He took the fish slices off half his own pieces and put them in the upturned lid of Morgana's tray. "I'll eat your rice."

They struggled with the inconvenience of eating sushi inside the van. The vehicle was parked outside a Lawson's in the interior of the town, Makoto having taken the opportunity to fill up the van's tank since they were nearby. In exchange for the lack of eating space, the van afforded them ample privacy to discuss what they'd learned on the beach.

Ren and Makoto were anxiously awaiting Morgana's report about the inside of the ice cream shoppe, but Morgana had been burned in their sort of deal before. Morgana held the information hostage until the promised sushi was provided. It was long moments of quiet and intense eating by all of them before Morgana relented and shared what he learned.

"I wasn't in there for long before I was spotted, but I did overhear three people talking," Morgana said, "One of them was saying that the body was only discovered because of an anonymous tip on the phone, and the other commented that was really unusual. And they observed that the dead man was obviously strangled. A person examining the body said that it must have been someone really strong, because the bruises indicated that it had been done with only one hand. Then I was discovered and chased out."

They thought about it in silence. The anonymous call was interesting, as who would know the man was dead except the killer? Why would a killer want a victim discovered? And the actual killing was performed by a physically powerful person. Mr. Ito was broad-shouldered like an ex-wrestler or something, but the idea he would kill someone on his own didn't seem realistic. Assuming Mr. Ito was involved at all, he would surely have goons for that sort of thing, and meathead goons were in every gym with weights in the country.

Makoto suddenly gasped in breath, choked on her food, and began coughing in a frenzy. Ren handed her a bottle of cold tea. She took it, nodded gratefully, coughed, eyes tearing up, then took a few gulps.

"Otohime!" she gasped. "Otohime is involved!"

"What?" said Ren. The sprightly old woman? No way.

"How do you know?" asked Morgana.

"She basically told us. She didn't mean to, but she did," said Makoto.

"When?"

"When she said that she didn't know who would want to choke the life out of the victim."

"Yeah, but the man was choked to death."

"Yes, exactly. And she shouldn't know that. Police never release the cause of death publicly because then only they and the killer know the method of death. It can help identify the criminal."

"Maybe she saw the body before the police got there."

Makoto shook her head. "Morgana said the police were saying it was called in anonymously. So she shouldn't have."

Ren's mind was still rejecting that idea. Ms. Otohime? He -liked- the spunky great-great aunt. He'd never liked a criminal before. "Maybe she was speaking figuratively?"

Makoto shook her head. "I believe you about stuff Ren, now it's your turn. Trust me. She's involved."

"Why would she slip up so bad, then?"

"I don't know. Maybe she was off her guard because the policeman had just finished with her. She was surprised we were there. It's obvious she likes you a little. And you saw how her demeanor changed suddenly when she realized we were looking into things- it was like her defenses sprang back up."

Ren thought back to the conversation and the way Otohime's face had changed. He had to concede that Makoto was right. Whatever was going on, Ms. Otohime no longer seemed a victim, but a wolf-in-sheep's-clothing.

Yet it was getting late, and the exhaustion of the day was catching up to them all. "We can share what we learned at a meeting tomorrow morning." said Ren, "Let's head back to the resort and get some sleep."

Makoto started the van. Ren took out his phone and started up a group chat.

==J: Breakfast at 7am. We have new information.

He put his phone away. He didn't need to see the responses. Everyone would be there.

* * *

After returning to the resort, they all headed to Ren and Makoto's room, prepared for sleep, and got in bed. Ren lay on his back with Makoto on one side and Morgana curled on the other. After two nights outside- one in town and one in the woods, Morgana surely deserved a return to a real bed. Plus, Makoto and Ren were so exhausted from training that neither had any appetite for private bed activities anyway. So Morgana was not a bother in that sense.

Sleep didn't find Ren, however. He was thinking about the crime scene on the beach, imagining the strangled corpse that he hadn't actually seen. He'd seen enough movies and crime shows to invent himself a fantasy body to look at. He couldn't help himself. He began to see the corpse with different faces. Makoto's. Ryuji's. All of their faces in a changing slideshow. If it wasn't such a serious train of thought, Morgana's Metaverse head on a human body might have even been a little funny.

But it wasn't funny. It was frighteningly serious. Anyone willing to strangle one person would certainly be willing to strangle more to keep it secret. That was the kind of danger the Phantom Thieves were going into. And for what? They had no personal stakes in this fight. They could climb in their van, drive away tomorrow, and never look back- and nothing bad would happen to any of the Phantom Thieves because they let this small-town business conspiracy go unsolved. So why were they doing this?

A loose social concept known as 'justice'? Or in Ryuji's more concise terms: 'doing the right thing'. Was that really worth the danger? What if Ren could put Makoto's life on one side of a scale: all that she was, and all the she might be in the future. If something went wrong and she were killed, all of that would go away and Makoto would be gone forever. And on the other side of the scale, some small businesses and one poor bastard in an ice cream shop Ren didn't even know. Didn't even know the man's given name, as a matter of fact. And someone who might even have deserved what he got, the choking fingers of the murderer a poetic justice in itself. Did the scale equalize in Ren's mind? Fuck no. What was he doing with his friends? What were they all doing here?

"Still awake, Makoto?" Ren said very softly to the ceiling.

"Yes." She rolled over against him, her hand sliding onto his chest.

"I'm having doubts."

"Tell me."

He told her what he was just thinking about- about the risks, the danger, their goals, and about the scale between her and the dead man on the beach.

Makoto was silent for a while. Then she said,

"Ren, you don't control what we choose to do with our lives. The risks we all take are risks we are choosing for ourselves, not because you are telling us to take them. And in the same way, the reasons we are Phantom Thieves are our own. We haven't done a single thing just because you thought it was the right thing to do. Everything we do is unanimous. All of us accepting the danger for ourselves. That's one of the points of the system we have.'

"And you're out there risking yourself the same as us. You don't think we worry about you in the same way? If I lost you, Ren…" she was quiet a moment. "We all know its dangerous. But that's why it's hard, isn't it? That's why we're the only ones doing it. If this sort of thing wasn't dangerous, everyone in the world would fight for justice, and there would be no need for the Phantom Thieves."

Makoto's voice was like the onsen waters for Ren's soul. Ren sighed in relief. That was exactly right. All the doubts he'd just had were bubbling away like the lingering memory of a bad dream. This woman next to him, this wonder of a person, was the most amazing thing in the universe.

Before he even thought about it, Ren said, "I love you, Makoto."

Makoto's hand clenched slightly in surprise. Then she rubbed his chest in a circle and her body snuggled closer to him.

"I love you, too" she said.

And both of them, wrapped in the warmth of that moment, finally drifted to sleep.

* * *

Not wanting to draw attention to themselves, the Phantom Thieves all ate breakfast as normal people and then went back to Futaba's room to be Phantom Thieves. She said she needed to work on some scripts and code this morning, so everyone sat around her as she typed away. She assured them multiple times that she would listen to what was said, but did they want the Akechi phone thing done or not?

Ren, Makoto, and Morgana shared what they saw on the beach the night before, then the conclusions they made later on.

"A devious onibaba," said Yusuke, obviously referring to Ms. Otohime.

"I agree," said Ann, "But devious at what?"

"Murder for one," said Haru. "I bet if we look closer, we'll find more."

"I think so, too," said Makoto, "But the level of her involvement is unclear. Is she simply aware, or is she an instigator?"

"So," said Ren, "We have a potential target in Ms. Otohime. A seemingly innocent man is dead, which is a problem for the police- but it seems related to a possible conspiracy that threatens the livelihood and dreams of dozens of innocent people in the seaside strip. That's not something police can solve. And there may be countless people we will never be aware of that are currently without justice. Is this a job for the Phantom Thieves? Raise your hands if you say yes."

Hands (and paw) went up around the room, Futaba managing to continue typing one-handed while she raised hers.

"It's unanimous. But where to begin?"

"Why was the man murdered?" asked Ann, "If we can figure that out, we would probably understand most of the situation on the strip."

Makoto nodded. "I like that idea. The motive for the murder is key to our understanding of Ms. Otohime's involvement."

"Surrounding rumors of business conflict abound," said Yusuke, "I would hazard the reason to be financial."

"The place wasn't robbed, I don't think," said Morgana.

"A seaside ice cream joint wouldn't exactly have a huge amount of cash," said Ryuji, "What's a scoop? Like a couple hundred yen? Even after a busy midsummer day, it wouldn't be something worth killing for."

"You'd think," said Ann, "But I bet some people would kill for a stack of one yen coins."

"There is more value in the shop than in its sales," said Haru, "It's beachfront commercial property. Even in small towns like this, that's going to have a premium price on it. Even if its jiko-bukken."

"Jiko- what?" said Ryuji.

"Jiko-bukken," said Haru again, "A property where someone died in unnatural circumstances. Its superstitious, but there are actual laws that say someone selling a property where someone has committed suicide or been murdered needs to tell potential buyers of the history of the property. It can significantly lower the value of a property."

"Could the murder be related to a desire to lower the value of the shop in a real estate transaction?" asked Makoto.

Haru thought about that. "I doubt it. Jiko-bukken is more a thing in residential properties. Business people are much more pragmatic and I doubt a murder in a property like this would have any real influence over its value. My bet would be the murder is based on where the ownership goes after the owner's death. If the dead man had no heir, it will either go to the municipality to auction off, or back to the bank that still holds the mortgage."

Ren considered that. Haru would certainly be the most knowledgeable about business practices and obtaining commercial property, being that her company managed the flagship fast-food franchise: Big Bang Burger. A murder motivated by the ownership of a key property. That had a ring of truth to it.

"Isn't this jumping to conclusions?" said Ann, "He could have been killed for a reason unrelated to property at all."

That brought everyone's minds screeching to a halt.

"That's a good point," said Ren, " I suppose we are."

"But it's something we can investigate and rule out," said Makoto, "We don't have any other avenue to look down, so we may as well go down this one. Even if the murder ends up having a different motivation, it's possible we might learn something important as we pursue this possible motive."

"Also," said Yusuke, "The murder was anonymously called in. Since no one but the killer would know the man was dead, it was likely the killer or someone affiliated. Which means they wanted the body discovered for some reason. That seems to support the property ownership line of investigation."

"But if we do pursue the ownership thing, can we even find out where the ownership of that land will go?" Ren wondered, then his mind hit something, "Wait, do we know for sure this Mr. Yokoyama was even the owner? He could be leasing or renting the property."

"Good point," said Haru, taking out her phone. "The ownership of the property should be a matter of public record…" The group waited as she manipulated her phone, a look of concentration on her face. "But it doesn't look like the local government has that available on its website. That's pretty common for small towns. But assuming he did own it, the heir to the property would not be public information."

"I think information on heirs would be in the man's will-" said Makoto, "If he even had one completed for himself. A lot of people don't really expect to die, so they don't have one."

"Even if he did," said Haru, "The will could be in any of the countless law firms across the country, There would be no way to find which one, and it wouldn't be online."

"We could break into the guy's house," suggested Ryuji. "Look at his mail and documents and stuff."

"Let's try to avoid breaking laws ourselves when we can," said Ren. That was the kind of thing he was paranoid of- the more laws they chose to disregard… where might that lead to?

"And the police will be there investigating the murder," said Makoto, "They want to find the killer. We want to reveal a conspiracy. Right now, it seems like we and the police will be on the same path, so we need to stay out of their way until our investigations diverge."

"We could try going to the local government," said Haru, "They would have copies of the sales documents which might point us in the right direction. It's not public information, but they should have collected that for tax purposes. And they can flat out tell us who the owner is if it's not the murder victim. We just need to ask the right person."

Haru realized everyone was still looking at her. She was unused to being viewed as the authority on a matter, and blushed. "I- um.. I could probably think of a way to get that information if I have a little time to think about it."

"Ok, Haru," said Ren, "Do we have other leads?"

"Yes," said Makoto, "The fake business reviews that are targeting all the businesses of the seaside strip."

"Perhaps this murder might just be the first in a larger campaign," said Yusuke.

"Reviews have to be made by people who hold online accounts on review websites, right?" asked Ann.

"Yeah," said Ryuji, "I made an account myself to give Otohime's place a good review. I feel stupid about that now."

"Can we find out where bad reviews are coming from?" asked Morgana.

All heads inevitably turned to Futaba who was still typing steadily. She felt all the eyes on her and sighed. "More work?" she groaned, her fingers finally stopping. "We need another computer person on this team."

She rubbed the sides of her temples, set the laptop to the side, and turned to face the rest of the group. "Where reviews came from, huh? Yeah, so long as the user isn't using a VPN, I can probably do that. I can hack the website, check the log-in data of the accounts for the IP, and trace the IP to its source. It probably won't even take me that long. Compared to the Akechi trace, it's child's play."

She returned to her laptop and continued typing. "I need a few more hours to finish this script for analyzing the ginormous amount of cell phone data currently on my desktop in Tokyo. You guys don't even know how much of my media collection I had to delete to make room for that junk. Part of me died. Anyway, if I stop this project and start on a new one, I'll forget where I was in the first and lose the flow. Let me get one thing done at a time."

Ren was perfectly fine with her prioritizing the Akechi project over the Otohime investigation. "Thanks, Futaba. That sounds great."

Ann looked at her phone. "I need to get ready for my shoot. I guess I'll see you all later this afternoon?"

"Don't ask Ito directly about Otohime, Ann," said Ren, "We don't want our host associating us with her in his mind."

"I know!" said Ann.

"Ann, you could simply ask if he saw the police lights last night and see what he says," offered Makoto.

Ryuji said: "And see if you can get us more time at the resort? We'll need some more time to look into all this and I'm running out of money."

"Already?" said Morgana, "We're still in the first week and not even halfway to Ren's hometown!"

"What's a cat know about money?"

"More than you, apparently!"

Ren saw Ann frown with a troubled expression. She had not liked the idea of using her modeling as a tool when they were investigating Madarame, either. Ren guessed it had something to do with her feeling like she was using her body to get things- which was a sore spot for her. But like it or not, Ann's bombshell figure was a resource she could leverage for her own justice, and for the unanimous goals of the Phantom Thieves.

"Okay, I'll try and think of something." She said as she left.

"I think I have a plan," said Haru, "I can use my business connection to seek information from city hall about properties on the seaside. I'll pretend I'm looking for a new location for Big Bang Burger. I might be able to learn something that way."

So Haru was also leveraging some personal resources for the investigation. "Okay, Haru, I guess we just need to get you down to City Hall then," said Ren. He checked his phone. It was getting close to 9am. "Things should be opening up by about the time we get down there. Makoto, I guess you're our official driver."

"When am I not?"

"Wait!" said Ryuji, "What about me and Yusuke? What can we do?"

Makoto frowned, thinking. "I don't know. We don't really have any other leads right now."

Morgana stood up, tail flicking. "Then it's back to old fashioned Phantom Thieving! We'll go down to the seaside strip, hang out, watch, and talk to people. Maybe we can find new leads."

"That sounds like a good idea," said Ren as Yusuke nodded in agreement.

"One thing we all need to watch out for:" said Makoto, "The police are also going to be investigating a murder. If you see something that might be a clue or evidence, don't touch it! It could jeopardize the police investigation. Take photos, observe, and leave it alone. And try not to get in their way or catch their attention. If we keep showing up in related places, or people keep telling the detectives that our group was asking questions about this, we might find ourselves as people of interest. We don't want that. So remember to keep in character, and when in doubt, act like a dumb kid on vacation."

"No problem!" said Ryuji.

Morgana started laughing.

"What?" said Ryuji. "What's so funny, Morgana?"

* * *

Makoto stopped the van briefly at the beginning of the seaside business strip. Ryuji, Yusuke, and Morgana got out. Yusuke took his painting kit, saying it would be the perfect cover for a stakeout.

"Remember," said Ren, "Watch out for Otohime and the police."

"Yeah, Joker, yeah," said Ryuji as they walked away from the van. With mild concern, Ren watched him go. Ryuji was, if anything, a combat specialist. Ren felt uncomfortable sending him off for recon. But then again, Ren hated sending any of his friends off into potentially dangerous situations without him. It made him feel out of control of the situation. But they were all Phantom Thieves, all equals in their assumption of risk. Makoto's words from last light played through his head: Everything we do is unanimous. All of us accepting the danger for ourselves. With a final sigh, Ren shut the van door and Makoto drove them away. And Morgana was with them. If any one of them was talented at recon, it was Morgana.

With Futaba back in her room, doing Futaba things on the computer, and Ann at her photo shoot, only Makoto, Ren, and Haru rolled up on Matsuzaki City Hall. It was a white, smallish, two-story building with a slightly angled red steps bisected with tasteful flower planters.

"My plan is to ask for the mayor first," said Haru, "I think name recognition will get his or her attention. Tourist-town mayors are always very business focused, and the idea of Okumura Foods investment should be a powerful draw. From there I'll ask technical questions about properties that I'm sure the mayor won't know, so he'll pass us to the most powerful clerk who does. And that's the person we will get our information from."

"You know your stuff, Haru," said Ren, impressed.

Haru smiled sheepishly. "Let's get that information before you start complimenting me. Let me check my phone real quick." She manipulated her phone for a few moments. "Okay, the mayor is a a man by the name of Mr. Abe." She showed Makoto and Ren her phone, a middle-aged balding man.

"Are you going in alone?" asked Makoto.

Haru considered. "I probably shouldn't. Whenever I'm on business, I always have an entourage. It's almost like a uniform. It's expected that a CEO be surrounded by employees." She looked from Makoto to Ren and back again, her eyes traveling up and down their clothing.

"Makoto, you always look so nice. I think you can be my secretary today." Haru giggled.

"Okay," said Makoto, "What do I do?"

"Just stay by my side, field any scheduling questions, and if you think of anything during our time in there, you can act like you are giving me important messages."

"Okay."

"And Ren... I guess you are my driver."

"Okay. What do I do?"

"Stay with the car." Haru smiled and climbed out of the van.

Makoto gave him look that said: 'Well, here we go;' and then got out too.

Both doors shut. Ren found himself alone in a silent van as Haru and Makoto walked towards the town office building. Ren blinked, realizing he was the only one in the entire group to get sidelined.

Joker climbed into the driver's seat and.. did nothing at all.


	9. Chapter 9

Makoto found herself needing to pick up her pace to stay in step with Haru. The auburn-haired young woman seemed to be rapidly transforming as they neared the city hall. Her stride changed, less bouncy and more precise. Her shoulders stiffened and straightened. By the time they reached the door to city hall, Makoto wasn't entirely sure who she was standing next to, but it wasn't the Haru she knew. That any of the Phantom Thieves knew. Except maybe… Ren?

The young woman turned and looked at Makoto, an arched brow on her forehead.

"Well, Ms. Niijima? Are we going to stand outside all morning?"

"Oh!" said Makoto, and she opened the door for Okumura Haru, CEO, Okumura Foods.

Haru strode in confidently, and Makoto followed. The main atrium was small, modest, tasteful. A young woman sat at a desk, reading something on a computer. She looked up as they entered and approached.

"Good morning," said the young woman, "Can I help you?"

"Yes, I'm here for my meeting with the mayor," said Haru.

The woman frowned. "With- with the mayor?"

Haru didn't answer, and from Makoto's position behind Haru, she couldn't see what sort of facial expression Haru employed, but the young concierge's eyes got a little bigger, she blushed, and then said, "Uh- Of course, Ma'am. His office is up the stairs and to the left. His personal secretary's desk is there. You can't miss it."

"Thank you," Haru's voice was curt. She turned to head up the stairs. Makoto followed.

"Makoto," said Haru softly as they went up the stairs, "I'm going to accuse you of forgetting to get me an appointment, okay? I think I might make a bit of a scene. Be ready."

"Ri- right."

They reached the top of the stairs, turned left, and didn't miss the desk of the mayor's personal secretary. It was somewhat in part of the hallway. Space, as ever, being something of a premium in official buildings. The mayor's office shared the city hall with several other departments essential to the operation of the municipality.

An older woman was typing rather energetically on her keyboard, eyes not leaving her screen as she said, "Can I help you?"

"Yes, I'm here for my meeting with the mayor."

"The mayor doesn't have a meeting scheduled right now," said the secretary, her eyes finally leaving whatever she was working on to look at Haru and Makoto. Her eyes flicked from Haru to Makoto and back again. She stopped typing. "Who are you? Ms-?"

"Okumura. Okumura Foods."

The secretary frowned. Her fingers left the keyboard and went for the mouse. Her eyes returning to the screen. "No, sorry, Ms. Okumura, you are not on the schedule."

"What? Impossible!" said Haru loudly. She was not exactly yelling, but her voice echoed about the atrium. "I had my secretary set up the meeting months ago!"

"There is nothing here, Ms. Okumura. I'm sorry. The mayor is busy right now."

"You must be mistaken. The only way there would not be a meeting is if my secretary forgot." Haru turned towards Makoto. "Did you forget, Ms. Niijima?"

Makoto put on a sheepish face and followed Haru's lead, matching her carrying volume. "It's possible, Ms. Okumura….."

"It's possible? What kind of answer is that? You don't even know if you forgot or not? You forgot that you forgot? Ms. Niijima, I gave you this job as a favor of your aunt. What am I supposed to tell her? I'm sorry…" Haru's mask broke for a second and Makoto saw a glimpse of the Haru she knew think frantically for a name. "Sakura! Yes. That's what I'll tell your aunt Sakura: I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I could not honor the favor she wanted me to perform for her." Haru upped the volume a bit more. "Her niece needed a job at a big company like mine. Okumura Foods. One of the largest food companies in Japan and south-east asia. And I said yes. Do you know why I said yes? Because.."

As Haru spoke in the carrying voice, the secretary watched them with wide eyes. Then motion drew Makoto's eyes to the door behind the secretary. The mayor's office door was opening. A middle-aged man with a balding head exited the office.

"...looking for new locations for investment. How can I do that without an-"

"Excuse me," said a male voice. "What's going on?"

Haru spun. "Ah, Mayor Abe!" She advanced on the man. "I'd hoped to see you today, but I'm afraid I don't have an appointment. I'm Okumura Haru of Okumura Foods. My company is exploring investment in the seaside tourism sector, and your town is in our reports of emerging opportunities. I hoped I could get a sense of Matsuzaki's leadership before I leave town this evening."

The man blinked a few times. Makoto realized this man didn't know what Okumura Foods was. Haru's company provided seafood all over Japan, but it was for restaurants, so generally the name wasn't common in consumer supermarkets. The public was most familiar with Okumura's fast-food franchise chain, Big Bang Burger. In a similar epiphany, Makoto realized that this man may be like Principal Kobayakawa: A man who needed answers fed to him.

"Excuse me, Ms. Okumura," said Makoto.

"Yes, what? What is it, Ms. Niijima?"

"The CFO of the Big Bang Burger Franchise Division needs to talk to you about the latest numbers."

The mayor's eyes suddenly bulged in a eureka moment. Makoto remembered that look all too well.

"The numbers?" said Haru, " I can do that later. I'm speaking with Mayor Abe right now."

The man opened his arms and smiled. "Of course, Ms. Okumura. Please step into my office."

* * *

"What's Yusuke doing?" asked Morgana.

"Painting," said Ryuji, "he's painting, Morgana. Just like he has been the last hour and the last twenty times you asked."

Ryuji tried to calm himself, something he'd been working on for a while, but if this damn cat asked what Yusuke was doing one more time, he was going to go apeshit.

Yusuke was painting the seaside strip facing away from the ocean this time. He'd said something or other about the tower being framed by something or whatever. Ryuji had been Yusuke's friend long enough to know at the beginning of a sentence if Yusuke was saying something important to listen to or if it was just Yusuke barfing up his own stream of consciousness. The former was when Yusuke was interacting with other human beings. Ryuji paid attention to that. The latter was just radio static from Planet Yusuke. That Ryuji didn't need to listen to.

But what Yusuke was also doing was watching the other shops on this street. Not that there was much to see. There was still nobody down here. But someone needed to do it, and Ryuji was happy Yusuke had volunteered himself. Ryuji understood Yusuke's easel. It made him stand out, yet also be invisible. Hey, a painter! Someone would think. And then look away. And Yusuke suddenly is a part of their background, hiding in plain sight. It was kind of genius.

But that meant the more interesting part of the strip was Ryuji and Morgana's responsibility. The three businesses facing the ocean. The crime scene where some ice cream dude got dead, a burger shack, and Otohime's restaurant. But he wasn't watching the beachfront. That's the public side. Ryuji was crouched in the narrow passage between the end of the main seaside strip and the edge of ice cream shop. Here the three ocean-facing businesses had their rear to a small parking lot. If anything interesting happened, it would be here.

* * *

"All right, Ms. Takamaki, let's get going!"

Ann began her pose switching as the camera flashes began popping off the silvered umbrellas. She channeled everything she'd learned in her prior jobs- careful to keep her neck long, her limbs away from her body so they didn't scrunch up and look too fat. Gut in and butt out. She thought of what Mr. Ito had said he wanted- someone who attracted Westerners and Japanese alike. And what did people want from a resort? That was universal: Adventure. Fun. Relaxation. Beauty. And all of it at the same time.

Her face rotated through expressions as the camera flashed, but she tended toward soft laughter, laughter said all of those things, and Ann knew one thing about herself: she could make laughter look gorgeous. Though, she could only make herself look like she was genuinely laughing by actually making sounds, so anyone not familiar with modeling would probably think she was insane and gibbering to herself, but the photographers knew exactly what she was doing.

"Yes! Yes, more of that, Ms. Takamaki! Yes! Beautiful. Oh, do that again, no the other thing, yes that, but fierce! YES! That's it!"

Lights were constantly in Ann's face, but she knew Mr. Ito was there, standing by the monitor display, observing every frame as it went from the camera to the computer. What else could she do? Her mind went back to when Mr. Ito had seen her and dropped his glass of liquor. That's right! He'd been stunned by her hair. She started tossing her head and laughing, letting her platinum blond hair dance around her head.

"Excellent, Ms. Takamaki! Give me more of that stuff!"

And so it went for about fifty more frames and then it was time for a costume change.

"Okay, Ms. Takamaki, we are going to do evening gown next in the restaurant. It's gonna be a false night, so we are going to darken down your makeup quite a bit for a richer kind of color scheme, but then it's all going to come off for the onsen swimsuit shots, okay?"

"Yes."

The photographer's makeup and hair team surrounded her as soon as she sat back down in her chair, and Ann submitted herself to their ministrations. This was the part she liked the least, but it was the most necessary.

"Girl, girl, girl!" the hair man was saying, "You are working that camera! I was peeking at the display and they are going to beat their heads against the wall trying to pick the best one. Too many choices, girl! Too many!"

"Thank you."

Meanwhile the two makeup women were in their own world having a technical discussion over her skin.

'It's such fair skin, though- I don't think we can use that color on her."

"Ah, that's true. Maybe if we just jump up a level in shade?

"Worth a look, let's try." They brushed a hesitant puff of makeup on one of Ann's cheeks.

"Oh, no. No, no, no."

"I agree."

Ann felt the cool wetness of a moist wipe on the same cheek. She just sat silent and still and let them work.

Mr. Ito drifted into Ann's field of view in the mirror. He made eye contact with her in the glass, gave a big grin and two thumbs up and then wandered away again. Well… that was about as obvious a good sign as she could hope for, but it was not exactly an opportunity for conversation. She had to find a moment sometime today. Her friends were all out there investigating while she was here advancing her private career! She refused to go back to them empty-handed.

* * *

Mayor Abe led Haru and Makoto back out of his office. "My head clerk is probably the best man to answer your property specific questions, Ms. Okumura. He works with the tax and property records every day, so he can likely get into specifics right off the top of his head."

Makoto rolled her eyes as she followed them to another office on the building's second floor. She was almost impressed with his ability to justify his own ignorance and downplay someone else's knowledge. Almost. Makoto previously worked as student council president under a master of that technique, and while Mayor Abe was good, he was not as good as her old principal.

They followed the mayor into a cluttered office of three people. Two clerks flanked the doorway with narrow desks- they appeared to be working with both hardcopy documents and the computer- perhaps engaged in some sort of data-entry. Meanwhile, a third desk sat in the center of the room, surrounded on all sides by walls covered in archaic looking file cabinets. At the desk was a surprisingly young man with shoulder-length hair. He looked up from a magnifying glass and an old-looking document as Mayor Abe opened the door- Makoto saw a flash of annoyance be replaced by a neutral expression at lightning speed.

"Mayor Abe,"

"Mr. Hirota. I'd like to introduce you to-"

"Ms. Okumura Haru," said Hirota, his eyes focusing on Haru with immediate recognition. "the CEO of Okumura Foods."

"See?" laughed the Mayor. He turned to Haru, "I told you he was a sharp one. Mr. Hirota, if you could assist Ms. Okumura with your knowledge of our town's properties?"

"Yes."

"Excellent, I'll leave you to it," Mayor Abe saw himself out. Makoto bowed slightly in farewell to the man as he passed, but he paid no heed to the person he thought merely a secretary. Makoto's eyes shifted to the man of obvious intelligence, Mr. Hirota. He'd displayed his knowledge of Haru's identity immediately, so he was obviously a reader of the news, which was not so much an impressive thing in itself, but he so blatantly cut off the Mayor to display his knowledge to the Mayor's guests, and the Mayor hadn't even realized it. This Mr. Hirota was likely the functional power of this town's government.

"How can I help you, Ms. Okumura." his eyes flickered over to Makoto, "Ms.-?"

"Niijima," offered Makoto.

His eyes went up and down Makoto in an appraising and analytical way. The obvious light of calculation brimming there. Makoto started to feel a nagging bit of worry in her gut.

"Yes. A young secretary for a young CEO." Mr. Hirota sighed, leaned back in his chair and massaged his temples. "Why are you two here?"

"My company is interested in investing-"

"Ms. Okumura," Mr. Hirota put up his hand. "Please. I have a lot of work to do today. Why are you really here?"

Makoto felt alarm bells go off in her head. Their facade was already discovered. She suddenly realized this man was potentially dangerous. This man, as head of all legal documentation in the town, may very well be involved in the conspiracy that the Phantom Thieves were now investigating. It was an obvious possibility that every single one of them overlooked.

If this person worked for either Otohime or Ito, it might jeopardize everything and put them all in danger as suspiciously nosy strangers. Haru and Makoto either needed to come clean about their objective, or they needed a new plausible lie to slide under their original lie. The first option seemed dangerous which made the latter seem necessary, otherwise a suspicious Mr. Hirota may warn whomever he might be working for, with, or taking a cut from. Did Haru see the danger? Makoto could only see the back of her head. What did her face look like? Haru! Look out! Do you see?!

"What are you talking about, Mr. Hirota?" said Haru, "What makes you think I'm not here for investment opportunities?"

Makoto was relieved. Haru sensed something was wrong, and she was buying time. Makoto's mind raced. What could make them seem harmless?

Mr. Hirota sighed again. "Your fake secretary, Ms. Okumura. She is young and pretty, but obviously not a top secretary in a top corporation. She's too young. And she isn't even carrying anything. Your facade obviously worked on the Mayor, but let's cut the game, please? I would guess this young woman is one of your friends and you are actually here in an unofficial capacity. What do you want?"

What would two young women be up to? If one of them was a rich and powerful CEO? Mr. Hirota seemed an intelligent and arrogant man- so appearing to be a stupid female was probably the best way to shake him from any suspicion. What did the silly girls back in Shujin like?... Ah! That might work!

"We may as well tell him," said Makoto, stepping forward to touch Haru on the shoulder. She put on the face she always saw girls use at sports festivals- the starry-eyed ones who loved cheering for their hero boy athletes. He hit Mr. Hirota with that look. "Haru's going to buy me a bubble tea stand!"

Mr. Hirota blinked. "What? Bubble tea?"

Haru took out her phone and stared manipulating it. Mr. Hirota's eyes flicked between her and Makoto.

"Yes!" said Makoto, trying to focus his attention on her. "I'm not sure you know how rich Haru is, but she's super rich, and she said since I wasn't going to college, I could start my own business. And I loove bubble tea!"

Haru showed her phone to Mr. Hirota. "We saw this news story this morning. Someone was killed in the ice cream shop on the beach. Since he's dead. I want to buy his shop!"

Makoto smiled inwardly. Haru had seen Makoto's theme and dove right in. They were now ditsy rich girls who didn't know how the world worked- probably the least threatening people who might accidently be poking around in a small town's business records. Lucky there was a news story online, but Makoto supposed murder was always a big deal in a small town.

Mr. Hirota's hand went over his face in a poor attempt to cover his rolling eyes. Makoto felt a sense of relief. He appeared to be buying it.

"That man didn't own that property," said Mr. Hirota.

"Oh…" said Haru, "I hadn't thought of that."

"Well, so?" said Makoto, putting a defiant, spoiled tone in her voice, "Then who does? You can just buy it from her."

"Ladies," sighed Mr. Hirota, "The Otohime family never sells their land, it's been with them for hundreds of years. You're wasting your time, I'm afraid. But I know for a fact that just up the coast, there are some places for sale in Nishiizu. Right on the beach."

"Oh! Okay! We'll try there. Thanks!" said Haru, springing up from her seat. "Come on! Let's have our driver take us!"

"Yeah, thanks, Mr. uh-, sir!" said Makoto, letting Haru draw them towards the door.

Mr. Hirota was rubbing his temples and already going back to his work, "Don't mention it."

They closed the door behind them, and finding themselves alone in the atrium again, looked at each other with wide eyes and shared a sigh of relief.

* * *

Ryuji had taken Yusuke's example and made himself a disguise. It consisted of a half-smoked cigarette butt he'd found on the sidewalk. He held it in his right hand and periodically raised it to his face as if he was taking a puff. He was just some dumb high school delinquent sneaking a smoke behind some buildings. Visible but invisible. Just like Yusuke. But so far, he hadn't seen a damn soul. Maybe it was time to get more proactive. But doing what?

Ryuji put his foot onto the edge of the dumpster he was waiting beside, stretching out his calves- an old habit from his tack team days. Then Ryuji felt the ping of an idea hit him. Or at least, that ping was what he interpreted as ideas. It would happen like this: suddenly Ryuji would feel that he had an idea ping, and then he would have to figure out what the idea was. It was like his senses picked up something around him, his mind had realized it was important, and then just pinged him. It didn't tell him what information was important or even what it meant, but something, somewhere around him was important for something.

He worked through what he was doing when the ping happened. He put his foot up on the dumpster and stretched. It wasn't the stretching, he did that all the time. So was it the dumpster? Okay, what about the dumpster? It was just a container for trash, and all the restaurants here had them. He looked over at the backside of Otohime's place. A dumpster. A dumpster full of Otohime's trash. Who knows what might be in there? Bingo. He and Morgana would find out what's in there.

"Morgana! Come on. I have an idea." Ryuji headed for Otohime's dumpster, excitement starting to run through his veins.

"What is it?"

"Let's see what's in this dumpster."

"That's actually a pretty good idea, Ryuji!"

"Right?"

There was no window to the rear of Otohime's place, and no camera Ryuji could see. So as long as no one came out or heard him, he should be in the clear. He carefully lifted the dumpster lid and found that it was full of trash. The excitement turned to disappointment. It was just a big dumpster full of black trash bags. Ryuji was no longer sure what he'd expected, but this wasn't it.

"What's in there?" asked Morgana, looking up from the ground.

"Trash bags. Lot's of 'rm."

"Well, what's in the bags?"

"Oh! Right!" The excitement flooded back.

"Seriously?" said Morgana, but Ryuji ignored him and tore open the nearest trash sack. It was full of dead fish. Disappointment again.

"Man, it's just fish."

"You sure?"

"Yeah," he pulled out one of the hand sized fish and dropped it on the pavement for Morgana to look at.

"Yeah, that's a fish," said Morgana.

"Come on, let's back off before someone comes out here," said Ryuji and headed back to where he'd been playing delinquent. Morgana snapped up the fish and followed him at a happy trot.

"You going to eat that thing?"

Morgana's voice was a little odd as he talked around the fish in his mouth: "Rell, for 'he rorent, I'r a cax." He dropped it on the ground again. "And this seems a perfectly good fish. It still smells pretty fresh."

"It's a trash fish. You're eating trash."

"You don't have to eat it."

Ryuji settled in as Morgana started on the fish. "It tastes fresh, too." said Morgana in between bites.

"Gross, dude," said Ryuji. "You really shouldn't-"

They both turned to the sound of an approaching engine. They ducked behind the ice cream shop's dumpster and waited. The engine got louder and louder until an old garbage truck pulled into the parking lot. It stopped before Otohime's dumpster, employed a very loud and hissy old hydraulic arm to dump the bin full of black bags into the back of the truck, set the dumpster back down, turned around, and left.

"It didn't even bother with the other dumpsters…" said Ryuji. He looked at the ice cream shop's dumpster and read from its notice label aloud: "Trash collected every Friday…." He ran over to the burger shack's dumpster. "Friday." He didn't want to go back near Otohime's dumpster, but he could read it from where he stood. "Friday."

"What's today?" asked Morgana.

"Not Friday…."

Ryuji's mind was pinging like crazy, and he was right there with it. This was something important. But what? He looked at the apparently fresh fish Morgana had been eating. He looked back at the dumpster he got it from. He looked at the building of Otohime's restaurant. A seafood restaurant. A seafood restaurant supposedly in dire straits for customers. With a dumpster full of fresh seafood. In the early part of the day. What the hell? Did the crazy old bitch buy the catch of the day, get depressed, and just trash it immediately? And a special order garbage truck to take it all away?

He reached for the fish Morgana had chewed on, turned it in his hand. It had a slit down its belly. Ryuji had watched his mother cook fish enough times to know what that meant. Someone had cleaned this fish as if preparing to cook it. Why clean a fish and throw it away? Why clean a boatload of fish and throw it all away?

Ryuji thrust his fingers inside the fish. They met something soft and covered in plastic. He pulled it out. It was a small clear bag with some kind of powder in it.

Ho-ho-ho-lee shit.

* * *

"Okay, Ms. Takamaki. This is the evening gown set. You're going to be at the bar, we're going to try you standing, leaning, and maybe sitting in a stool. We want an action shot here, and we also have a biographical spread with Mr. Ito planned in another magazine, so we're going to have him stand behind the bar as if he is the host serving you, okay?"

"Yes," Ann said as she adjusted her hair. It had been gracefully curled into a long, flowing mane. She was dressed in a evening gown that was the same powder blue as her eyes, so obviously some post-production editing was planned to really play with that color.

The bar was set in some golden orange lighting, Mr. Ito took his position there, dressed in a dark, richly purple suit, which Ann realized would go well with the orange, but not outshadow her own light blue. He also wore some golden rimmed sunglasses, making him look like some sort of mogul. Which Ann supposed he kind of was.

"I'm really quite thrilled with the first shoot, Ms. Takamaki," said Mr. Ito, as camera flashes indicated the shoot was now underway.

Ann tilted her head down, looking up at Mr. Ito, and smiled slyly, as if she just heard some amusing inside joke. "I'm glad."

(("Nice expression, Ms. Takamaki. Mr. Ito, can you pick up that bottle of cognac?"))

Ito picked up the bottle. "Thanks again for agreeing to stay."

Ann gave a big toothy smile, exaggerating her reactions for the watching cameras. "Of course! But I'm curious, Mr. Ito….."

(("Ms. Takamaki, can you move your shoulder back? I'm losing the tops of your breasts."))

That was the sort of request a model simply got used to. It didn't faze Ann and she pulled back her shoulder and shoved out her bust in the evening gown.

(("Yes! That's it!"))

Ann continued, "...about that stand-off between you and that older woman two days ago?" Ito's camera smile faded and he started to drift serious, so Ann quickly added: "I thought I was in the scene of a kung fu movie, and the hero was meeting the evil dowager."

Mr. Ito laughed with genuine mirth.

(("Excellent, Mr. Ito! That looked really good."))

"You mean Ms. Otohime? Oh, we used to do business together. Then we had a falling out."

Ann switched her expression to a coy sort of smile while she thought about that answer. Business together? From what Ren and Haru said about Otohime's claims, she and Ito had battled over Ito's resort. Mr. Ito seemed to be contradicting that story. Ann wanted clarification, but dared not risk another direct question.

"I remember you said this resort was recently finished- did you have any trouble during construction?"

"Not really. Building the road was more expensive than I planned, but other than that, it went quickly and smoothly. I'm lucky. Perhaps all the prayers at my favorite shrine payed off."

(("I want more expression you two!"))

They both forced a polite laugh. Ann decided that answer would do. Now, what about more free hotel time...

(("That was nice!"))

"It's a wonderful resort. My friends love it. I'm going to treat them all to one more night for agreeing to stay for me."

"That's generous of you, Ms Takamaki. You must really love your friends."

"They literally saved my life a while back, so it's the least I can do."

"Tell you what, how about the rooms for all of your are on the house one more night, and you just tell them you are paying for it?"

Ann let her face brighten, and then she put on a sly look. "That's sneaky, but I won't say no."

(("That was amazing! Okay, I think we got what we wanted. Let's get ready for the onsen shoot."))

* * *

Unaware he was doing it, Ren tapped a beat out on the van's steering wheel. He'd decided that if he had nothing else to do, he might as well play the role of "driver with nowhere to drive" as best as he could. So he placed his phone on the center console, turned on some music, and tried to fill the time by seeming as relaxed a person as he could. After all, someone could be looking out the window of the city office building to see if Haru and Makoto had a driver.

He was quietly singing along to the final refrain to one of his favorites (("Break-ing-in so we can break out! Break-ing-in…")) when he saw Haru and Makoto re-emerge from the building. They looked… giggly? Staring at one another, laughing, Makoto was…. skipping. What the hell happened in there? He moved out of the driver's seat as the women reached the van and opened the front door. Their jovial masks fell off their faces as they entered.

Makoto glanced at Ren's curious face as she immediately started up the van. "We were successful, but we had to change cover stories halfway through."

"The head clerk was sharp," said Haru "It seems possible he is aware of the situation in town and may be involved himself."

"How do you know?" said Ren.

"I don't know- it was just in the way he acted," Makoto starting pulling out of the parking space. "He seemed too sharp and arrogant to not be aware of something,"

"I was so glad you picked up on it, too!" said Haru, "I was wracking my brain for another cover story. When you said bubble tea, I almost broke character and laughed."

"Great minds…" said Makoto, raising a hand.

Haru raised hers. They high-fived with a satisfying-sounding slap.

Makoto pulled them to the edge of the parking lot and was waiting for the road to clear for her turn when Ren's cell beeped. He opened a text from Futaba.

==O: Some of these reviewers r all over, but their r about 5 accounts that came from the same internet cafe here n town. Usernames:

-fooddude1

-fooddood1

-bicepgod69

-bbking777

-standindead55

And here's the place.

[[address link]]

==J:great! thanks! How the other project?

==O: running. 2% complete so far. Got a long way to go.

==J: thx

==O: np

"Hey, Makoto. Futaba just gave me an address of an internet cafe here that some of the fake reviews are coming from. Take the next left."

"Ok."

After some turns, Makoto pulled up to the net cafe which Futaba had indicated and Ren jumped out and headed inside. A young man blended into these kind of places whereas beautiful young women tended to draw lots of attention to themselves. So this was Ren's investigation to perform.

A front desk with an otaku-looking older man was near the door, and rows of computers ran the length of the shop. A few people here and there were either working or playing computer games. The attendant glanced up from a bowl of instant ramen and raised his eyebrows at Ren. "Hello! Can I help you? How much time do you need?"

Ren's eyes flicked to the gaming posters on the walls and then back to the attendant. "I'm trying to put together an Association of Heroes team, and I've met some people online who say they live in this town, too. So I'm trying to meet them in real life by going to all the net cafes. Do you know any of these players, perhaps?"

The attendant looked a little mystified at the request, but he obligingly glanced at the list of usernames that Ren provided on his phone's notepad app.

"Bicep god sixty-nine?" mused the attendant. "I think I know who that might be. He's usually in here around this time of day, but I'm surprised he plays A.O.H…. I never see him play games… umm.. I don't know his real name, but his nickname is-" The man's eyes glanced over Ren's head and out the window of the shop.

"Oh, speak of the devil. There he is now," said the attendant as Ren heard the sound of the door opening behind him.

Ren turned to find the biggest, meatiest, bulgy-ist bodybuilder he'd ever seen in his life. The man seemed to be on the verge of ripping open his tank-top, highly-defined musculature all over his upper body. His legs were amazingly scrawny and out of proportion, however. It made the man look like someone had taken the top half of a superhero action figure and put it on the bottom half of a normal man doll.

"Benkei," said the attendant. "This kid wants to talk to you, I guess." Then his head turned to the deeper part of the cafe and he wandered off into the computer lab, "Excuse me." A customer was calling for his attention.

The man called Benkei frowned. He took off his sunglasses and pushed them up into his square crew cut. His small eyes narrowed in suspicion at Ren.

"Who the fuck are you?"

Ren didn't need or want to confront this man, and it could ruin the investigation if Benkei became suspicious. He decided to make himself seem as harmless as possible. "I'm Mishima. I've seen you in here a few times, and I want to be buff like you. What's your secret?"

The big man's eyes narrowed. "Seen me? I ain't seen you before."

"That's understandable," said Ren, channeling how Mishima acted back when they first met. He slouched his shoulders, broke eye contact, looked at Benkei's tiny feet. "People don't really notice me."

Benkei looked Ren up and down suspiciously. Then his face changed to an expression of annoyance.

"Yeah, that makes sense. Okay, look kid. It's not complicated: Stop jacking off alone in your room and go to the gym. Lift heavy shit. Drink protein. Rinse and repeat until you're not such a scrawny little pussy. Now get out of my way already."

Ren had to practically jump out of Benkei's way as the big man headed for the computers.


	10. Chapter 10

Ren returned to the van, both Makoto and Haru eyeing him from inside the van. Both with some concern as he exited the internet cafe.

"What's wrong?" he asked as he climbed into the middle seat.

"That man who went in after you…" said Makoto as she started the van once again. "He looked like a science experiment."

"I'm surprised his legs can carry that body," said Haru.

"The attendant seemed to think he may be one of the fake review users," Ren looked at the list of usernames that Futaba had provided. "And he does seem to be someone who… you would expect to have a certain lack of imagination with usernames. I wasn't able to confirm anything. He was immediately suspicious of me, but I think it's likely he's someone involved."

"He looks like he could choke someone, that's for sure," said Haru.

"We watched him from quite a ways away, just walking down the street," said Makoto, "He doesn't seem concerned about anything."

"Could be innocence," said Ren, "Could be arrogance."

"Either way," Makoto turned them out of the parking lot, "the police can't very well go question anyone that has big muscles after a murder, so it's not like he would hide himself."

Ren took out his phone. It was getting close to noon. Were the three members dropped off on the seaside strip also satisfied with their time spent?

==J: seaside crew- are you still investigating or ready for a pickup?

==F: my painting is complete.

==S: hell ya, we got something. We got something good! Come get us!

"Makoto. Ryuji says they are finished at the seaside strip. Let's pick them up and return to the others at the resort."

"Right."

* * *

Other than Yusuke showing off the rather excellent landscape he'd painted, the seaside strip team was not willing to share their information until the full group was gathered for another meeting.

"We found something really good," was all Ryuji would say. Even Morgana was dedicated to the secrecy of their discovery. Ren suspected a sushi bribe was involved, but it made for a relatively quiet ride back up to the resort.

In the front seats, Haru and Makoto wandered into a discussion regarding skirts and leggings, both of them favoring that wardrobe combo during most of the year.

"I've been interested in where you find those bright, classy stockings," Makoto was saying, "Black goes with most things, of course, but it does make everything I wear a bit same-ee."

"The thing is…" Haru said, "if you start flowery at the bottom, you kinda need to colorize the whole outfit or it looks mismatched…"

"But Haru, you make mismatched look matched…"

Ren's mind didn't latch on to the rest of their words, but he closed his eyes and dozed lightly, enjoying the sound of their voices. The others in the car seemed equally absorbed in their own thoughts and internal worlds, all of them having had one meeting this morning, and another one imminent on their return to the resort. The drive made for a welcome mental hiatus.

Ann texted that her shoot was finished as they drove through the resort gate, so in short order, the entirety of the Phantom Thieves were reassembled in Futaba's hotel room.

"So, we all seem to have had some success this morning," said Ren, "Who wishes to begin?"

"Me!" said Ryuji. He stood, took a small plastic bag from his back pocket, and slapped it down onto the carpet in the middle of the group. They all gazed at in silence. The small baggie contained some sort of powder in it.

"I found that inside a fish that was inside Otohime's dumpster."

"What is it?" asked Yusuke.

"My guess would be some variety of amphetamine or methamphetamine," said Makoto, "Ryuji, it was dangerous of you to bring that here! Even possession of drugs like that is an arrestable offense."

"I know it's dangerous, but it's evidence," said Ryuji, "And that was just inside one fish, and Otohime's dumpster was full of sacks of fish. It's like the catch comes in, and they put the baggies in the fish, and then throw away the fish, but it's not a real trash truck that picks them up. Well, I mean it's real, but it's not an official one."

Makoto reached for the baggie. "We need to destroy it. No one is going to believe that a group of teenagers has a bag of whatever that is for anything other than using it, and none of us can afford a drug charge on our record."

"What! Wait!" cried Ryuji, "That's my find!" He reached to get the baggie back

"Let her destroy it, Ryuji!" said Haru, sharply.

Ryuji froze at Haru's tone, looking at her a little wide-eyed. Makoto snatched up the bag and took it to the bathroom.

"You still got her, Ryuji, you made the big break on Otohime," said Ren, "We know she's a drug dealer now."

That seemed to pacify Ryuji the rest of the way.

"A drug smuggler," said Ann, "She's like a direct source. She not up early to buy the day's fish, but to oversee the imports."

Futaba pursed her lips. "I know it's illegal and everything, but are illegal drugs really what we as Phantom Thieves are about? If someone wants to risk the law and buy drugs from someone- is it really our business? Like- if some salaryman wants to get high, why do I care? That's for politicians and police."

There was a sound of a flushing toilet and then rinsing water. Everyone turned to watch Makoto re-emerge from the bathroom. "I flushed the powder and washed the bag out," she said, "And to answer you, Futaba- I would say it's not the drugs that concern us, but the actions someone might take to protect their own ability to profit from them. There is a man dead, as an example- and it seems likely Otohime had a direct hand in it."

"And there are who knows how many people involved that could be getting exploited!" Said Ann, "Both here and where the drugs came from! Before you joined us, Futaba, there were students at our school being blackmailed into carrying drugs like the ones Otohime are peddling. That's exactly the sort of thing the Phantom Thieves are about stopping."

Makoto nodded at Ann. "Whether or not we care about someone making their own personal choice to use illegal drugs- the reality of illegal business is damaging to lots of innocent people."

"Operating under the glaze of an honest occupation the entire way," said Yusuke, "Who would suspect the old woman who's owned and operated such a long standing restaurant?"

"More than just owned that restaurant," jumped in Haru, "but the clerk at city hall advised that the Otohime family has owned their land for hundreds of years, and that the ice cream shop is also owned by her."

"So property ownership was not a motive for the murder.." said Makoto, "But in light of Ryuji's discovery, there seems plenty of speculative motives related to smuggling."

"And I don't think Mr. Ito was involved, either," said Ann, "I spoke with him today and he did not mention any sort of anti-resort movement in the local area when he was building this place. He said he and Otohime used to be business partners and had a falling out."

"So if we believe him," said Ryuji, "Then the whole sob story Otohime told Haru and Ren was bullshit?"'

"Seems that way." Ren frowned. "And to top things off, the fake reviews might be the doing of Otohime, too. I believe I met the man responsible for at least some of them. And while we don't have any specific link between Otohime and this man- he is a bodybuilder and seems very capable of choking a man to death with one hand."

"Could Ito be the employer of this bodybuilder?" wondered Yusuke.

Ren shrugged. "It's not something we can rule out, but why hire him to murder one of Otohime's tenants? What does Ito gain? If we go by movies and stuff, I would guess Otohime the drug smuggler would ultimately have more reasons to kill the man than Ito. Loyalty. Secrecy. Blackmail. Who knows?"

"So we're thinking what?" said Ann, "That Otohime used the same goon to murder the ice cream guy and to send out some fake bad reviews- targeting both herself and her own tenants? Why?"

"If you mean why use the same person, I would guess its because he's a loyal footsoldier." Makoto shook her head. "If you mean the specific motive for murder and self-sabotage…perhaps with less customers around, it's easier to stay under the radar? Or perhaps she needs the excuse to boot her tenants because she wants to do something else with her land? Whatever is actually happening remains a mystery- we learned a lot this morning, but ultimately we don't have what we need to answer the question we wanted to."

"Hell yeah, we do!"

Everyone looked at Ryuji.

"The question wasn't really why ice cream dude was killed. That was our path forward, but the real question was: do the Phantom Thieves take down Otohime?! We know this hag is a big time drug smuggler. We know she's got employees. And we know people around her end up dead. It doesn't matter we don't know exactly why she did some of the things she did, but we can be damn sure its related to the illegal shit she's doing. No one gets that deep into the dark and not get distorted. If the Metaverse still existed, Otohime would have a Palace- one-hundred-per-cent."

Futaba was nodding. "It's weird to say, but I think Ryuji's logic is spot on. I agree."

Ann was looking a little sad. "And I think Mr. Ito was a part of it, too, at some point. Though I have no idea in what way."

"It seemed like the clerk at city hall was involved, too. Or at least aware," added Makoto. "Normally, I would say that drug smuggling, like murder, is something for police to handle, not us. But in this case, I'm actually not so sure."

"Can the local police be relied on?" said Yusuke, evoking the memories of them all. Corrupt police and those who controlled them had been a major threat to them in the past. "Otohime appears to be as a part of this town as the rocks are. Some of the police may even be her relatives."

'Yeah, so what are we going to do about it?" asked Ryuji. "We could drop a ton of info on the local police station, but I bet you, nothing would happen. This is something only we can solve right now. So are we going to do it, or not?"

All heads turned to look at Ren. He felt flat-footed, as this meeting transformed from a discussion to a call for action rather quickly. Indeed, what are the Phantom Thieves going to do?

"Give me a few moments to think about this," said Ren quietly. He closed his eyes and, without realizing it, began rubbing his bangs between his fingers. The rest of the Phantom Thieves waiting in silence.

They'd already exhausted all the real world investigation they could think of. Outside of more stakeouts and tailing people, there didn't seem much else to be done. And stakeouts and stalking people was not what the Phantom Thieves did- that sort of stuff was for detectives. Ren considered what Ryuji said- that they'd managed to get enough information to confirm that Otohime was a bad enough person to be a legitimate target for the Phantom Thieves. The specific details in regards to what type of bad person she was- well, that wasn't material to the next step in the process: infiltrating her Palace and triggering the change of heart.

Otohime's distorted view of the world would make her Palace a live-action diorama of her misdeeds. And since Otohime will specifically confess all her wrongdoing should they be successful in stealing her Heart, the Phantom Thieves didn't need to collect evidence or worry about corrupt police, either. Once they were done, Otohime would take care of her own clean up, and the police would simply have to publicly do what they are supposed to do, whether on-the-take or not, because it was hard to ignore public confessions. In a similar fashion, no one had wanted to get started on Shido after his change of heart, but even the police loyal to him were compelled to arrest him and hold hearings in response to his confessions. They'd found ways to delay it, appeal it, and otherwise hold off justice as long as possible, but it seemed Niijima Sae was about to finish it once and for all. So the same would happen with Otohime: justice would eventually come, sooner or later.

But this was assuming there was a Palace to infiltrate. And it was assuming that the process of changing someone's heart even still worked in the post-Metaverse world they found themselves. If there wasn't, they would need to contemplate an overt battle with magical spells in the streets. Ren didn't want to go there. Ren hoped they didn't have to go there. Triggering a change of heart really was the most effective way to completely neutralize an evil person- the world of evidence and trial dates that the police and prosecutors needed to navigate as a normal course of life was agonizingly slow and unreliable in comparison. And flat out justice killing would probably create more problems than anything- a new boss, a power struggle, who knew? But if the Phantom Thieves could steal Otohime's twisted desires, then she would likely dismantle her entire operation herself, netting big fish and small fish up and down the line.

Speaking of the normal course of life… Ren looked at his phone. It was getting to mid-afternoon. Did they even have a place to stay arranged for tonight?

"By the way, Ann, were you lucky with getting us another free night here?"

"Yes, but it won't work again."

"That's fine, thanks," Ren was relieved, that's one less worry for them tonight. "Then I suggest we plan an early dinner at Ms. Otohime's restaurant," said Ren, "That puts us near her for a legitimate reason, and if she has a Palace, I would assume that's where it would be. We don't know if Palaces still exist, or if we can still trigger changes of heart. So do we experiment by attempting the process on Ms. Otohime? Raise your hands if you say, yes."

"Wait," interrupted Makoto. "Doesn't this feel rushed?"

"We have to rush," said Ryuji, "You heard Ren and Ann. We only have one more night of free rooms, and I don't have a ton a money!"

"We also have the majority of our roadtrip left ahead of us," said Yusuke. "We cannot tarry here forever."

"It's the next step, anyway," said Morgana.

Haru nodded in agreement.

"I suppose all that is true..." Makoto's voice still sounded worried.

"We've had more important deadlines, if not shorter ones" said Ren, "And I can't think of any other way to experiment with the existence of Palaces than to find someone like Otohime."

Makoto thought that over and then raised her hand slowly. "I see your points, I agree with everyone."

"No other concerns or objections?" Ren looked around, a sea of intense faces looking back. "Then it's unanimous. Though how we do this without the navigation app... has anyone seen it on their phones?"

Everyone shook their heads.

Well, that was a long shot.

* * *

It was an odd feeling, this particular walk to the van. It was the first time in Ren's memory that they'd ever moved as a group without a specific plan in mind. Well, there were Palace stakeouts where they had not been sure what keywords might be needed to get in- but they'd still at least known the process of how to get into a Palace in general.

This time everything seemed a mystery, They were unsure if Palaces still existed for one. And if they existed, they didn't know how to get inside a Palace when they lacked the navigation application on their phones. And to top it all off, would the process of stealing the Treasure be the same?

Their walk was quiet, but as soon as the last of the van doors closed and Makoto started the engine, Ren wondered aloud: "With the MetaNav, we needed a name, a location, and keyword of the target's distortion. If it's possible now without that app, how might it be done?"

"I dunno," said Ryuji, "but we'll figure it out."

Morgana hopped up onto the middle seat. "That's the process Ren is trying to get started, Ryuji,"

"Oh, right."

Yusuke cleared his throat. "Perhaps the discovery of how to use our personas holds some clue?"

Haru nodded thoughtfully. "And the clue for that was in the message from the Velvet Room. Can you say it again Ren?"

Ren obliged: "_The game is over. The world is remade and the people are free. Yet, Fate still weaves, but it knows not where. All that can be, shall be the result of your cognition."_

The van was silent except for the quiet acceleration of the engine as Makoto once again drove them down the long drive of the resort.

"My mind is drawn to the second sentence," started Makoto, "we know that the world is remade, but what does it mean that the people are free? We know that Mementos and the prison at the bottom is gone, but does it mean anything else?"

"It does seem too straightforward to not actually have more of a meaning," said Ann.

Yusuke cleared his throat again. "Actually, that was not exactly what I meant. I meant that we learned to control our powers by cognitizing the result we desired. Perhaps in a similar… results-focused method- we will discover our way back into Palaces."

Everyone went quiet while they considered that.

"I get where you are going, Yusuke," said Futaba, "But if we have to imagine the Palace before we can go in, that would make it really hard. Like, would any of us have thought that Shido's "ship of state" was literally a ship in his mind?"

"Just because it might be difficult doesn't mean it can't be true," countered Yusuke.

Futaba sighed, but didn't have a response.

"I think there will be a Palace," said Ann, "We have our powers, so it would be weird to have those but not have any of the other stuff."

Ren did feel like that had a ring of truth to it.

"One odd thing.." said Makoto, eyes on the road, "about Sae's Palace, or at least for me, anyway- was that it was at the courthouse. Remember when we came out of there late at night a few times? I would look back at the building and I would know that Sae wasn't in it. She was out at a restaurant or at home or somewhere that wasn't the courthouse, but we had just jumped out of her cognition- at the courthouse. That her Palace was locked in a geographic location, and it was not directly influenced by where she physically was at any given time. That was odd."

"But all of 'em were that way," said Ryuji.

"Yes, and isn't that odd?"

Morgana's tail flicked against the seat. "That was because the Palace was tied to Mementos and the Metaverse- it was an entire infrastructure that enabled the distorted cognitions of Palaces to take root."

"But with the Metaverse gone," said Haru, "there is no soil for a Palace to root in, so the only place a distorted cognition could exist would be... inside someone's mind?"

"The people are free," quoted Makoto.

"Free to be distorted wherever they wish," said Yusuke.

Ren let out a long breath and leaned back in his seat. All he'd done was start the conversation off and his friends went and figured it all out. This team really was amazing. "I think you guys cracked it, so we'll just have to try."

"Try what?" asked Ryuji.

"Well, in any fictional story involving jumping into someone's mind, you have to touch the other person. So, I'll try touching the woman and see what happens."

"That kinda sounds gross, dude- I'll be honest..."

* * *

Otohime gave them a pleasant smile as they all arrived at her restaurant. The sun was still high in later afternoon, and the veranda was empty, as it always seemed to be when they were not eating here. The beach was sparsely populated this time- a few families enjoying the water on a very warm spring afternoon- the hint of summer in the power of the sun. Otohime helped them open the umbrellas over two tables to provide some shade.

"We are leaving town tomorrow," said Ren, "And we decided we wanted to end our time here with as excellent a meal as when we started."

"I'm flattered," said Otohime, "What will it be?"

"May we have the same arrangement as the first night?"

"Of course! I'll get some tea." She left for the interior of her restaurant.

She was acting as she had that first day- back when she was simply an elder restaurant owner to Ren and the group. The spicy attitude she displayed at the pizza party and last night was not on display. It seemed Otohime wore some sort of mask when she was operating her restaurant, and instinctually kept it on. It almost seemed like she was two different people.

The Phantom Thieves exchanged some shallow conversation while they waited. Then Otohime returned with a tray and tea set, and when Otohime reached to place a teacup, so did Ren. He fixed his mind on that peculiar sensation of entering the Metaverse- as if it was already happening to him.

Their hands collided, and upon their contact, Ren felt all the hair on his body stand up, a dark, undulating.. Something.. Blanket?...sheet?... waved in front of his vision and then everything was the same as it was before, but- completely still. As if all his friends and all the world were frozen and he alone was not.

Cautiously, Ren withdrew his hand, and Otohime didn't move, was as still as a statue. He looked at his friends. They were still as well- all of them locked as they were in that instant he'd made contact with Otohime's hand. He reached out and touched Makoto's shoulder- she was solid in the sense that his hand stopped when it contacted her, but Ren realized he couldn't feel her. He had no sensation on his skin as he ran his hand over the bare back of her hand, nor of her long-sleeved shirt. It looked like he was touching her, but he was not.

Then Ren noticed there was a window hanging in the sky. Just behind Ryuji's head, and just to the left. A window, just hanging in the air, and a fish swam past the window on… on the other side? Ren stood and walked towards the window, and as he got closer, his changing perspective revealed that what was once the sky and horizon of the beach and ocean, was actually a wall… and it was as if someone had pasted a 3-D photograph on a two-dimensional surface to fool him with an optical illusion. He reached out and literally touched the distant horizon, and it was firm, like drywall. He looked up at the clouds in the sky, and reached for them- his hand hit a ceiling. It was like a photograph, too.

But the window, it was really a window, and beyond the wall upon which the horizon of Matsuzaki's beach was now glued like wallpaper, there was something else entirely. A undulating blue medium was outside, like a vast curtain which stretched higher than Ren could see- he stuck his head out of the window and looked up, but it stretched on and on into darkness. Below the window, there seemed to be some sort of grass. He climbed out of the window and stepped onto that grass. It was wet. Like seaweed at low tide.

He looked behind him, and the window was just the window of a small shack- almost like a garden shed. He could see Otohime, all his friends, and even himself, still sitting in the chair, as if he'd never gotten up and stepped outside this window at all. His hand was still touching Otohime's hand. It was as if what had just been his real world, was now a static grouping of manakins in this small box of a building, and posted to the far side of the room, behind Ren and Otohime, was another 3-D photograph of Otohime's restaurant, completing the panorama of sitting and frozen Ren's physical reality.

Still mystified, the moving Ren walked away from the window and around the corner of the shack. A vast structure stood before him on a hill- it reminded Ren of the imperial palaces of Japanese mythology. Arched, tiled roofs with curving ends. Flowing cerulean and gold dragon motifs. Long walls surrounded the central structure, creating the mystique of a forbidden city being contained within. From high in the sky, aquamarine light streamed down upon the palace, and the light shimmed and flickered, like when one looked at the sky from the bottom of a swimming pool. The distant outlines of whales drifted slowly past the sun above.

This was a palace, obviously, and it was equally obvious to Ren that this was Otohime's Palace- her stronghold of desires, motivations, and cognitions. But instead of being locked to the restaurant in the real world, and accessed through a strange magical phone application, Ren reached this Palace by touching the old woman physically. So the palace was not a place, but a person. He was inside Otohime, or at least some part of him was, while his own physical form remained behind, sitting at the table in the small room of the "real" world.

Ren reached for his weapons, and found the knife and pistol he always had with him in the Metaverse. He was also in his usual trench coat and gloves. So his mind had cognitized them into existence for him? That was different than how things used to work, but it wasn't a huge logical leap. If he could cognitize himself into the cognitive world of another person, why wouldn't he be able to create weapons and equipment for himself, too? He wandered back around the shack and returned to the window back into the physical world.

At a glance, it all looked the same inside, but on closer inspection, he realized that the still forms of his friends were not completely still. They had moved slightly. Eyelids were very slowly opening and closing. Makoto was looking at the physical Ren still sitting at the table, and the mental Ren standing outside the window recognized the early signs of Makoto recognizing something was odd. The expression was coming to her face, but she was moving very, very slowly. It seemed time was still progressing outside of this place, but at a much slower rate. Though his own physical form and Otohime's seemed different: they didn't appear to be moving or changing in any way.

So, how to get back? Ren climbed back through the window of the shack, containing himself back inside the 3D images his eyes made for him inside his own head. And lacking anything else to try, he sat back down in his chair, merging his cognitive form with his still physical form and-

Suddenly he could feel the movement of the air, hear the movement of the sea, and the tea cup spilled over onto the table. Otohime apologized and wiped up the liquid. Ren blinked and looked around him. Everyone was staring at him and Otohime. They'd all noticed something had just happened.

"Why the intense stares?" said Ren, trying to restart conversation, "It's just a cup of tea."

"Don't be so clumsy then," said Ryuji, clearly jumping onto the conversation train to dispel the silent shock that had been over everyone. "Making the poor woman clean up after you."

"You should talk," said Futaba.

"What does that mean!"

Makoto continued to look at Ren intently, but she waited for Otohime to wander back into the restaurant before speaking. "What happened? The moment you both touched, its like you both froze for a few seconds."

"Yes." said Yusuke, "It was quite brief, but I saw it, too."

"A few seconds?" said Ren, he'd been inside for a few minutes at the very least. "It felt longer to me, but I was there. In the- the place." He looked back at the restaurant. Could this veranda be wire-tapped? It didn't seem likely, but with what they know now about Otohime, could they risk it? Then again, if Otohime didn't hear her own name, how would she know what they were talking about? Ren continued: "Yusuke was right. I filled my mind with the result, the feeling of going to the- other place we used to go. And it happened."

"What was it like?" asked Haru.

"Like the other Palaces, but this one actually looks like a literal palace, too- but under the ocean or something. But the way I entered was… different. I think it would be too hard to explain, you'll see for yourselves soon enough."

"Well, we can't all go in while-" Makoto looked around, "we're in such a public spot. It would look very odd, even at a distance."

That was true. If being inside Otohime's Palace freezes all of them, they couldn't just stand around for bystanders to discover and interfere with. They would need to lure Otohime to a secluded spot."

Ren looked at Morgana. "Let's eat our dinner, and then when I go to pay, we can play a bit of 'stray cat'- like last night. Maybe 'stray cat in the kitchen' this time?"

Morgana's tail flicked in understanding.


	11. Chapter 11

At around 4 p.m., Ren stood from the table, all eyes on him. Morgana hopped off his chair and followed on Ren's heels. They entered the restaurant, Otohime had the tab ready. Morgana snuck past them without being seen.

"It's been a pleasure, Mr. Mackerel," said Ms. Otohime as she processed Ren's pay card. "I hope if you pass this way again, you will stop by and see me."

"I can't think of a better summer beach trip," said Ren, "Though I think we'll take the train next time."

There was a crash from the kitchen. Otohime's head swiveled towards the kitchen door.

"I'm eating your fish, you hag!" shouted Morgana.

It was unclear to Ren what Otohime heard of Morgana's voice, but he assumed some sort of feline howl.

"It's that cat of yours!" accused Otohime. "It's getting into my stock!"

"I'm terribly sorry. I'll get him!" said Ren and he pushed his way through the kitchen door.

"Hey! Don't go in my kitchen, mackerel!" Otohime's voice became sharp and Ren heard her push through the door immediately behind him. He knelt down like he was picking up something behind the door, "I got him!" He stood, turned to an angry Otohime, and grabbed her hand.

The strange shadow flowed over his vision once more, and Otohime froze. The kitchen was a less dynamic place than the veranda, so other than the frozen old woman, Ren had no other clue he was inside her cognition. He started up a count in his head- they could discover how distorted time was by how long it took everyone else to join him in the kitchen. He turned to his left and saw the same window he saw before, this time it was in the kitchen wall, but it showed the same blue medium- distant water it must be, of the barrier surrounding Otohime's Palace grounds. How far were his friends from the kitchen? He walked towards the kitchen door and pushed at it, but it didn't move. In fact, it had no texture, just that of drywall. So it too was like a 3D image on a two-dimensional surface. He would simply have to wait.

And count. He counted up the seconds as he watched the door open slowly and Makoto's face peeked around it, then the door opened up fully as the rest of the group entered the kitchen in slow motion. Makoto's hand reached out, and touched Otohime's neck. Then she blinked in real time and stepped out of her frozen physical form. To Ren's eyes, it was like a copy of Makoto was stepping out of her body. It hurt his head a bit to even look at it.

"Come over here," he called to her, and she looked at him by the window, and then her eyes flicked back and forth between cognitive Ren and physical Ren. "I'm not a shadow," he said, "I think that's just physical me. Look behind you and you can see the same copy of yourself."

Makoto looked. "Oh, this is so weird."

Meanwhile, Ryuji's hand was contacting Otohime's skin, too.

"What the hell!"

"Come over here, both of you, or there won't be enough room inside this place."

The cognitive forms of Makoto, Ryuji and Ren climbed out of the window.

"Whoa! Ren! Makoto! Your clothing switched as you climbed out. You're in your gear!"

"You too."

"Whoa! You're right!"

They looked back inside as the others experienced the entrance into the palace. Then looked away as cognitive Yusuke stepped out of physical Yusuke. Ugh, it really kind of hurt to see the process- a sort of weird pressure behind the forehead.

In between one of his friends entering the palace, being surprised, and then the rest of them ushering the newcomer to climb out the window, Ren asked Makoto about the time dilation.

"How long do you think between me freezing Otohime and you getting in here, Makoto?" Ren asked.

"Maybe 30 seconds?"

"I counted about 180 seconds."

"So, a multiple of six?," Makoto's lips pressed together as she calculated quickly. "Then an hour in here is 10 minutes out there."

Haru was the last to join them, and as she climbed out of the window, a halberd materialized in her hand. "Eep!" she said, letting it fall with a soft thud to the seaweed ground.

"Wild," said Ryuji. "Man look at this place!" He was watching a school of fish swim by on the other side of the water barrier that seemed to surround the entire Palace complex.

Ann was looking back at their still forms in the garden shed that was also Otohime's kitchen. "Seeing that kind of gives me a headache."

"That's so bizarre," agreed Haru.

"It's extra bizarre when the inside of that room looks like an outside place," said Ren. "Otohime's kitchen is a bit tame compared to that."

"But this!" said Yusuke, he was gazing upon Otohime's imperial palace, glimmering in the soft underwater light. "It's stunning. This will haunt my dreams for years to come. I'll probably paint an entire series."

"What happens with our other selves back in the real world?" said Ann.

"This is totally new. I have no idea," said Morgana, "But I'm sure we don't want anything to happen to our bodies back there. If someone attacks our bodies while we are in here, we might not even know it."

"What happens if our contact with Otohime is interrupted?" asked Haru.

"I don't know," said Morgana. "I've no idea how this new type of Palace works. But I think it's safe to assume that if we die inside here, our real forms will die, too. So, the same risks that we know still exist, just like with the Metaverse.

Ren nodded. "We expected that much, I think. But the ongoing risk of ourselves in the real world, that is a new challenge. We didn't really have to worry about two different places before."

"So we need to split into two teams," suggested Makoto, "One team to infiltrate, and another team to guard the physical forms of those on the inside. That must be the reason for our real-world powers. We can't afford to be helpless out there."

"Let's just put up a closed sign on her front door," said Ryuji.

"It's still business hours," said Ann, "Otohime's place seems like one of those places that is always open- if we just try and close up shop, that might draw attention to us.

"Should we come back later?" wondered Futaba. "You know- when she closes?"

Ren shook his head. "I bet after hours are when her goons start showing up. I'm betting they are instructed to stay away during the day, otherwise we would have seen them that first night, or today during our meal. Ryuji, you didn't see anyone around this morning right?"

"Yeah, no, just the trash truck."

"And that was roughly the early start to the lunch hour," finished Ren. "I think we should do this now, and we choose the outside team based on their ability to maintain the facade of the restaurant." He looked to Makoto. "Makoto, you are an excellent cook."

"What?' Makoto blushed, "I would say I just do what needs to be done."

"Ignore her modesty, everyone. I've been over to her place and she cooks for us and Sae. Grilled fish, too. She's been cooking for Sae for years."

"I believe I can assist her out there," said Yusuke. "I cooked for Madarame. I was his only pupil, though he was not often in the house for meals." Yusuke's face twisted into a rare sneer. "Likely at his other home with his real life."

Everyone looked at Yusuke in silence, but they knew he was not fishing for sympathy- just troubled by a passing memory. Ryuji turned his head to Ren.

"And how about you, dude? You work at Cafe Leblanc and the beef bowl place. And you have lots of customer service experience, too. The flower store. The mini-mart. Seemed like you were always working."

Ren had hoped everyone would forget those part-time jobs. If Makoto was staying out there, Ren wanted to be on hand for the action inside the Palace, as that would be the most risky. But he couldn't exactly reveal his concerns as it would seem like he lacked faith in the other members of the group.

But then Makoto sealed his fate by saying: "That's a good point, Ryuji. Ren, myself, and Yusuke can handle everything out there in the physical world. Two cooks and a server. That will leave five to discover the path to the treasure."

And just like that, it was out of Ren's hands. He could object and put his foot down, but that would sour everyone. So Haru, Morgana, Ann, Futaba, and Ryuji would go inside the palace. Morgana was their old guide, Futaba a skilled navigator, and the other three had more than enough power. Ren conceded to himself that it was an excellent team even without him or Makoto- he just so often thought of himself and Queen as the main officers. Perhaps it was time to throw that kind of thinking away. They were all Phantom Thieves after all, and he could not deny that the present mission outside the Palace was better suited to him.

"You'll find you have your usual weaponry," he told them. "Be safe. Six hours in here is going be about an hour for us back in the restaurant, so try to get done in less than twelve hours your time."

"I hope it doesn't take that long," said Futaba.

"Good luck everyone," said Makoto.

"I'll keep my eyes on your bodies," said Yusuke.

"Think of a less creepy way to say that, please," said Ann.

Ren, Makoto, and Yusuke climbed back into the garden shed.

"Just assume the position your physical form is in," Ren instructed them, "and once you're fully overlapped, you should be back in the real world."

He performed the action first, and once joined in the physical world, stepped back. He wanted to see what it looked like when Makoto and Yusuke came back out, too. Ren waited. Then one after the other, they removed their hand from Otohime and stepped back. Nothing particularly spectacular about it, actually.

The rest of the group looked like some kind of weird cult. All of them, standing around Otohime, hands reaching for her, eyes staring, blinking blindly into nothing. Yusuke reached out and pushed Ryuji slightly. Ryuji's body rocked forward, and took a corrective step to maintain balance, then went still again.

"Interesting," said Makoto, "We could theoretically move them around. It would be slow, but I bet it could be done.

"Let's not," said Ren, "We don't know what might happen if they lose connection to Otohime. It could even be fatal."

"We really don't know anything anymore," Makoto's voice was quiet.

"That's why the three of us are out here. We'll protect them."

"Ah! Good! There are customers out there," said Yusuke, who was looking out the kitchen door window.

"What?!" said Ren and Makoto together. They hurried over to peek out the window, too. Yusuke was right. Two people were standing on the veranda, taking selfies with their cell phones. Foreigners. Probably Americans.

"Why is that good, Yusuke?" hissed Ren.

"All businesses require customers to thrive."

"You got into character fast."

"What are the odds?" said Makoto. "I thought this place would be empty until dinner time." She sighed, looked around the kitchen, and snatched an apron from a nearby hanger. She pushed it into Ren's chest. "Best get our customers seated."

"Me?"

"You're the one that made me the chef."

* * *

Haru clutched the haft of her halberd with nervous anticipation while the infiltration team watched Ren, Makoto, and Yusuke return to the inside of the shack, meld with their doll-like other selves, and go still. It was the first infiltration in several months, and she was the last member to join the Phantom Thieves. The lack of normalcy in these types of activities weighed heavier on her than the others.

Her first Palace had been inside her own father's cognition, and there she learned she was but a tool to him. And then when they'd finished, her father died. In those terrible weeks, she'd seriously considered reporting all of them to the police. They'd tricked her, she thought, they didn't know what they were doing. They killed dad! Maybe they didn't mean to, but he was dead just the same. Dark days with greedy executives from her father's company, and dark nights with dreams of her father from happier times.

But then she told herself that she'd gone along with the Phantom Thieves willingly, making her sick with guilt. Also, those events rescued her from the fiance her father had picked for her- a man who had looked her directly in the eye and openly told her he planned to use her as some kind of sexual toy. And when she had told her father, he didn't care! Haru still felt the prickles of disgust when she thought of that man, Sugimura. Could she report to the police the people who saved her from that fate?

Ultimately she had not reported them all, and in the coming months, discovered that the death of her father was caused by Akechi Goro, not her new friends. Haru was not a person who hated easily, but she wanted Akechi to suffer. If Akechi had not interfered with the Phantom Thieves, her father would have been alive and reformed. He would be like he was before: kind, loving. But Akechi stole that away from her. Stole a part of her future, just as Sugimura had always threatened to do.

When Amamiya Ren offered that snake a chance at redemption, just before those iron doors shut, it took every ounce of self-control in herself not to pull the trigger on her grenade launcher and watch Akechi transform into a pile of meat- just like the red slop that came out of meat grinders in her father's factories.

But she hadn't, and part of herself was thankful for that. But now with Ren's constant assurance that Akechi was still alive- she was less and less confident in her decision back then. If she'd given in and avenged her father's murder, they would not be living under the worry of Akechi right now. It made Haru understand what movie villains meant when they said mercy was a weakness- and that understanding scared her. What was she becoming?

Haru opened her hand and rolled her fingers open and closed along the haft of her halberd, forcing the tension away and letting herself take a deep breath. Focus on the now. Just like she cleared her mind for a meeting with the board of Okumura Foods. Just do the best she could at what she was doing NOW, and the future will handle itself.

Ryuji was rubbing his jaw and staring into the shed where all of their bodies were frozen. "So if we watched them, they will move but in super-slow-motion?"

"I think so," said Ann. "Joker and Queen were saying that time moves six times slower outside."

"We don't have time to watch them!" Morgana stood proudly before them in his two-legged humanoid form. "Let's find that Treasure!"

"Hold on, Mona," said Haru, who then turned to Futaba. "What do you see, Oracle?"

Futaba was manipulating her high-tech goggles like someone focusing a normal pair of binoculars. She was staring off towards the cerulean palace on the distant hill. "The treasure is in the center of that palace complex."

"Cool," said Ryuji, "But do you see anything that isn't obvious?"

Futaba sighed in frustration. "There are fewer shadows on the right side of the complex than on the left."

"That sounds good!" said Morgana.

"Anything else?" asked Ann.

"No."

The infiltration team looked at one another, heads swiveling back and forth. All of them suddenly realizing that this was the first infiltration without Ren. They were waiting for his confident "Let's Go," to push them all into motion. Haru realized this group lacked a leader- a decisive voice to push them over the edge and down the ramp of action. Ryuji, Ann, and Futaba were not of that personality. Morgana could be, when he was confident, but he wasn't exactly skilled at fostering faith in his teammates- he was too mercurial.

Haru realized she could do it. If she could put on a mask and lead father's company- no… not father's company- HER company- then she could wear a bit of that mask with her friends when she needed to. But friends were so different from employees...

"Um.." said Haru, then she raised one of her arms into the air. "Move out, team!"

Four heads turned towards her. Appraising eyes gauging her pose.

"The beauty thief returns!" said Morgana.

Ryuji laughed, but it was a warm laugh, not a mocking one. "Yes! Good to see you, Beauty Thief. We're right behind you,"

Haru hid a giddy smile behind a frown of serious concentration, then hefted her halberd and started up the long hill to the distant palace. The rest of the infiltration team close behind.

* * *

Ren stepped back into the sunlight. The two foreigners looked at him and smiled warmly. He smiled back.

"Welcome. Sit where you like.'

The man's face looked confused. Then he said, "Good morning!"

"Good afternoon."

The man looked embarrassed and the woman laughed at him. She said something quickly in English. Ren wasn't able to catch it. The man laughed. Then said to Ren. "Good afternoon."

Ren decided to employ his English. "_Please. Sit any place._"

"_Oh! You speak English!"_

"_Small only."_

"_Oh! **** * little ** ***** good!"_

Ren smiled politely, but he was only catching a few words. The man was speaking so fast. But they took their seats.

The woman then made her own attempt at Japanese, "Do you have a map?"

"What? A map?'

The woman saw his confusion and hesitated. She looked at her partner. He shrugged. She looked back at Ren, then pantomimed opening a book of some kind. Ren thought about it for a moment, then realized she was asking for a menu.

"_Sorry. No menu, ah.." _Ren tried to bring forth as much of his vocabulary as he could. He aced English class, but a real situation was so much more difficult. "_The cook makes what the fisherman brings._"

The woman said, "Oh!"

The man said something rapid fire to the woman. She nodded and said something equally rapid fire back. The man smiled and gave a double thumbs up.

"Yes, please." said the woman.

Ren blinked. Then realized they'd just ordered chef's choice, just like he had when he first came to this restaurant. Well, that made things a lot easier.

"Coming right up," he said as formally as he could. He then bowed formally, thinking that would give the tourists a bit of the Japan they imagined they would see. Ren walked back to the service sink and began to prep glasses of water. He nearly dropped a glass when Yusuke's head popped up in the chef's window.

"Well?" asked Yusuke, "What did they order?"

Makoto's head popped up, too- but her being shorter, Ren could only see down to the middle of her nose. Her crimson eyes bored into Ren with intensity.

"Chef's choice," said Ren.

"What a relief," sighed Makoto. "Yusuke, could you check the cooler for any saury? I think that's my best fish."

"Yes." and Yusuke's head disappeared.

"And maybe some shells? Like oysters- that would be an easy appetizer. And pre-prepped nigiri?"

A more muffled Yusuke voice said again: "Yes."

"Oh no! Does she have rice going or not? And miso? Yusuke, look for miso. There is nothing hot out here."

"Yes."

Ren took the waters out to their customers, letting the cooks figure out their business.

* * *

The walk took them a lot longer than Haru expected. With the empty, rolling hills of seagrass and a lack of any stationary object in the blue waters that surrounded it all- relative size ended up being something a bit hard to pin down. The edge wall of the forbidden city complex was not relatively close with a two meter height or so.. But pretty far away with a 12 meter height or so. After a hike of roughly ten minutes, Haru wondered: "Can you turn into the van, Mona?"

Morgana could turn into a van, it turned out. But when they climbed in and revved the engine, they discovered the wheels could not find any traction on the weird wet surface of the landscape- if they moved at all, it was only after scraping free the greenery from the rocks until the tires found purchase, and then moving forward a foot or so to get slipped up and stuck on seagrass all over again. So they hiked it.

It was a bit over an hour of walking to the very edge of Otohime's palace complex. They continued down the right side until Futaba said: "Here, this is about where the weakest concentration of shadows is. If we head in around here, we can probably make it a good way inside without needing to fight anything."

Ryuji tapped his sledgehammer experimentally into the stone wall. "But how do we get through?" He looked up at the edge of the wall. It was maybe twenty meters up. "We ain't climbing this thing. Futaba, can you fly us over on your spaceship?"

"Sure."

Haru imagined them riding a glowing green flying saucer over the wall of the compound. It lacked a certain amount of subtlety. "I think that will attract a lot of attention to us, guys. Let's think of something else."

"Allow me," said Ann. And before Haru could say anything, Ann said: "Hecate! Agidyne!"

A black figure with a red cape ghosted into existence behind Ann. It was firm here, not like the ghostly mist their persona's took in the physical world. The persona raised a hand. Haru felt the the attack first, a sudden gust of superheated hair ruffling through her curly hair.

Fwooomp!

A dark red ball streaked out into the wall. Stone transformed from rock, to magma, to being blown inward within an instant. A gaping sort of tunnel had formed, rimmed by glowing, superheated stone. Some of the rock hissed and popped, but it was a surprisingly quiet form of demolition.

"No changes in shadow activity," said Futaba.

Haru peeked through. She could see what looked like organized rice paddies intersected by stone paths. Some sort of agricultural sector of Otohime's imperial city?

Ryuji approached the tunnel, but grimaced and fell back. "It's like an oven. And the top of the tunnel is still oozey and drippy. We can't go in there."

"I can," said Ann.

"Great for you, then! But what about us?"

Morgana stepped forward to look at the glowing stone. "I could try using wind magic on it to cool it down."

"Conserve your power," said Haru, "The stones will harden. It will still be really hot, but you know how lava looks on the nature shows- it goes hard pretty quick once it's away from the main heat source. We can go through then."

"Do we got time to wait around?" asked Ryuji.

Haru considered. "We have about eleven hours still before Ren and the others will have been in control of Otohime's restaurant for only two hours. Time is on our side, so let's pace ourselves."

* * *

"Ren!" hissed Makoto, "Ren!"

He paused in his efforts to get tea prepared. Stood from the service station, and Makoto's anxious red eyes were peeking at him just over the rim of the chef's window. "What?"

"The stove isn't working!" she said.

"What?"

He entered the kitchen and found Yusuke clicking the dials on one of the burners on the main stove. Makoto watched Ren enter. Her jaw was set and her fists were tight, clearly an agitated Makoto. Yusuke stood up, a deep, frustrated frown on his face.

"It's broken," he said, "No matter how far I turn the dials, the elements do not get hot."

"And it hisses," said Makoto.

Ren walked over and looked at the stove. The problem was immediately obvious. "It's a gas stove."

Both Makoto and Yusuke blinked. "Oh," they said.

"You two haven't spent much time outside Tokyo, have you?" Ren put his thumb on the starter button and hoped they hadn't spilled too much gas in their efforts. "Watch out, there may be a bit of a flare up from the extra gas." He turned on one of the burners and hit the igniter. A small puff of flame rose but it settled quickly into a normal size.

He showed them the ignite buttons. "The dial controls the gas, the igniter sends the spark. Click it when its on a little bit, then control the flame with the main dial. Once it's ignited, it's basically the same as an electric stove at that point, except if you turn it off, you have to reignite, okay?"

They nodded. Yusuke looked charmed by the novelty of it. Makoto was blushing furiously. She was proud of her intellect, so ignorance tended to affect her confidence. Ren realized he needed to make her relax.

"This is good, Makoto- for when you meet my parents. If you offer to help in the kitchen, you will know how our stove works now."

"Shut up, Ren! Go serve the customers!"

Whoops. That wasn't exactly what he was going for. But the fire he'd accidentally ignited in Makoto was accomplishing the same goal. Her mouth was set in determination as she started up other burners. Before leaving the kitchen, Ren looked at the eerily still forms of Otohime and the other Phantom Thieves in their zombie-cult-like formation on the other side of the kitchen door. English and gas stoves were certainly the minor dangers today. He wished safety to the infiltration team.

* * *

After about twenty or so minutes, Haru and the others hurried through the steaming rock tunnel. It was like an oven, but it was over quickly. On the other side, idyllic rice paddies stretched before them in both directions, following the border wall with geometric precision. Here and there, a humanoid figure was wading in the shallow water, doing something or other. The paddies averaged about four squares of water before the farmland ended and a sort of village began. Small and humble hutts ran the length of the fields, and the juttings of multiple rooftops beyond the first row hinted at a warren-like neighborhood.

Ryuji pointed at the field workers "Cognitions?"

Morgana made an affirmative grunt. "They don't appear to be shadows, so those are the civilians of this Palace."

Futaba raised her own arm and pointed beyond the farmland and the slum neighborhoods. The land was starting to rise rapidly now, so objects closer to the center of the palace were on higher elevations. Above them in the distance, a large angled gate towered over a robust looking cobblestone street. "That's the obvious way forward. And I think the nearest shadows are there."

"So this outer area is unguarded," said Ann.

"Must not be anything valuable here," said Haru. "Let's get going."

They hurried down the small stone walkways between the fields and lost themselves within the tangle of bamboo hovels. The streets were barely more than dirt walkways between haphazardly placed homes. But they could see their destination on the hill above them, so it was relatively easy to keep in the correct general direction.

They intermittently passed other rusticly dressed people on the streets, but as Morgana said, they all seemed to be cognitions- fake copies of nameless people that Otohime's mind populated her Palace with. What exactly they represented was unclear, but it was clear to Haru that these cognitive people were basically serfs- laborers and farmers with minimal difference from slaves- tied by blood and family to serve as their rulers saw fit to use them.

They rounded a corner and entered a sort of town square. A gibbet was constructed here, and a limp corpse swung slowly by a rope around its neck. An older man, an expression of terror and pain frozen to his head. No other cognitions were nearby. The infiltration team cautiously approached.

"There's a sign," said Ann. "'Behold Yokoyama. The Fate of Traitors."

"That's the ice cream man," said Morgana. "I recognize the face. It's exactly like it was in the physical world."

"That means Otohime saw it in the real world, right?" said Haru.

Morgana nodded. "Yeah, her cognition of the body would only be so perfect if she had real memory of it."

"Knew it was that bitch," said Ryuji.

"It's an obvious warning to the other cognitions here," said Ann, "So that means, all these people are her tenants in the real world? She must own a lot of property."

Haru considered that. They only knew for sure that Otohime owned two seaside plots for two restaurants in the town, but the clerk had said her family had owned the land for hundreds of years. That could mean her ancestral holdings were vast, encompassing all types of real estate. The humble restaurant owner must actually be some sort of slum lord.

"I think you're right, Ann," said Haru, "But if the income from these people is so low that her Palace doesn't even puts guards here- the real operation must be further inside."

"Yeah, like the drugs!" Ryuji strode ahead eagerly. "Come on. Let's get to that gate!"

The gate was not much further- the town square linking with the broad stone avenue which ran up to the archway. The infiltration team dodged off the main road and finished their approach amongst the chaotic shacks- keeping themselves out of sight. When the were near as seemed feasible, they hunkered down to consider their final approach.

"This wall is much thicker," said Ann. "I don't think I can melt all the way through it."

"Higher, too." said Ryuji.

Morgana made a thoughtful sound. "And there are quite a few guards there, too."

A dozen masked warriors stood around the gateway. The were dressed in the ancient armor of Japan- the early soft armors with large, loose squares of material over each shoulder. All of them armed with swords. But the Phantom Thieves knew that these guards were not actually what they seemed, but only the form Otohime gave them. Once aroused, these shadow guards would morph into their true shapes, derived in some way from Otohime's own subconscious library of monsters, creatures, and metaphysical beings. Why they didn't just walk around in their own shapes all the time was a mystery.

As Haru watched and considered their possible actions, a small party of cognitions wandered through the gate and the shadow guards paid them no mind- allowing them to pass in peace. Everyone said it at roughly the same time: "I have an idea." They looked at each other with amusement. But where to find the disguises?

In the houses, it turned out. In short order, they were all donned in wide-brimmed bamboo hats, and a sort of cloak made from dried straw. It covered most of their clothing, and if they kept their heads forward, they could see through the gaps between the material of their hats without revealing their faces. Haru had a little difficulty with her bulky halberd, but she discovered if she held it upside down and kept the blade near her knees, the other side of the pole sticking out of her cloak should look like some sort of long farm implement. It was the best she could do. She wasn't going to leave the loyal weapon behind.

They stepped back out onto the main road, four peasants and a child (Morgana), on their way to do whatever it was that serfs did beyond that gate. They approached the guarded area with the same plodding sort of depressed walk all the cognitions used. If all went well, they should be able to pass without notice.

The guards turned to watch them approach. Haru's blood went cold. It was already going differently than what they'd seen. Were their disguises that bad? In the Palaces that Haru had experienced, Shadow guards were not particularly observant or intelligent creatures. This was unusual.

"Stop there, peasants!" said one of the guards. "You know you're not allowed up here."

A bit of relief flowed through Haru's body. So it was just a matter of permissions. Their disguises were working after all.

"We were called," said Haru, trying to keep details light. "To replace those who just left."

The shadow guards looked around at each other, a somewhat comical gaggle of swiveling, masked heads. Finally, the biggest one said: "That was the last work party of today. You could not have been called."

"There must be a mistake," said Haru.

"A mistake? Are you accusing me of making a mistake?"

"What? No!"

"Show this haughty peasant her place. The one down on the gibbet is going to go bad soon anyway."

Haru was shocked by how fast this escalated. Already one of the shadow guards was advancing on her, sword held out menacingly. They were going to execute her, just like that! What kind of people did Otohime have working for her?

But before Haru could decide how to defeat this approaching danger, the sound of a cocking shotgun drew the attention of everyone, thief and guard alike. Haru's head spun to Ryuji, and she just caught a glimpse of his shotgun poking out from inside his straw cloak before:

PitCHOOM!

The approaching guard's head evaporated into dark mist, and the rest of its body quickly followed the example.

"Intruders!" All of the guards began twitching, beginning the process of transformation. They would probably be much more dangerous in their true forms.

So much for stealth! Haru swung up her free arm, taking up the always surprising weight and bulk of her trusty grenade launcher that hung off her lower back, She had to drop her halberd to the ground so as to get a second hand on the grip of the launcher and steady her aim.

Choonk! KOOM!

A group of shadow guards in the rear vanished in flame and black mist. But there were plenty more still active, the biggest one finishing its transformation into a four-meter tall elephant man with a giant sword. Haru shot it.

Choonk! Slap! KOOM!

The round bounced off the creatures obese, flabby body! Haru let the launcher fall back on it's hip strap and hurriedly picked up her polearm, the heavy thumps of the creature's feet rapidly approaching. She hefted the halberd and braced to meet the charge.

She stomped her foot to the soft ground just behind the tail end of her halberd. She leaned back, using her weight on the backfoot to brace her weapon. The charging elephant man ran full tilt into the business end of her halberd, impaling itself with a roaring grunt. Haru's foot was shoved back, drawing a jagged line in the ground, but she held- the passive augmented strength of her own persona giving her much more physical power than her smallish, thin frame could muster on its own.

The elephant-headed warrior snarled, and stepped forward, impaling itself further in its attempt to close the distance on Haru. Blood was running down the wooden haft of the weapon, slicking Haru's iron grip on it. But she could not abandon her stance without freeing the creature entirely. It shuffled closer again, a new gush of dark blood running. It raised a large saber in a meaty hand.

"Astarte! One-Shot!"

Somewhere behind her, she knew, her persona was aiming a very large gun.

KOOM!

Haru's ears rang from the sound as the elephant warrior's raised wrist vanished into a spray of meat and red, the blade tumbling useless to the earth. She'd missed! She'd wanted the thing's head blown off, but her cognition had focused on the immediate danger of the sword!

The creature yelled with new pain, then clamped its other huge palm over Haru's hands, crushing them painfully to the pole. It then pulled itself forward another step, the extra height of the creature nearly unsettling Haru's balance, leaning her back. Haru held on for life now, surely the creature couldn't last for much longer. It thrashed its head, the end of a long tusk just catching Haru on the top of the skull. Her big hat cushioned it slightly, but the blow drove her head down and Haru felt the sharp burn of torn skin. A warm liquid began running atop her scalp.

"Noir!" yelled a familiar high-pitched voice, and suddenly a black and silver whirlwind flashed before Haru's face, cutting deeply into the elephant-thing's meaty throat. It gargled, released Haru's hand and the shaft of the weapon in favor of its own gushing neck, and then collapsed. Morgana wiped his blood-stained scimitar on the creature's clothing. "You ok?"

Haru reached up, took off her hat, and felt her head. It came away bloody, but she didn't feel dazed. It was likely just a bad cut. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Let me heal that for you."

"Wait till after we're safe again, we're still in combat."

They both looked to the right. Ann had both arms raised into the air, her face a frozen sneer of pleasure- four vaguely humanoid figures were collapsing before her, consumed in blazing flame. They both looked left, just as Ryuji's sledgehammer collided with the head of some sort of multi-armed snake man. It fell to the ground, limp. Then Ryuji hit it in the head again.

"I guess we're done," said Morgana, "Let me heal you."

Haru nodded in acceptance, and Morgana said, "Zorro. Diarama."

She watched as Zorro appeared, waving its wand-sword at her head. The sharp pain of the cut immediately vanished, to be replaced by the wild itching of her skin knitting itself under the guidance of Morgana's healing persona.

"Hey! You all okay?" called Ryuji.

"Yes!"

Ann walked over and gently parted Haru's hair- she frowned slightly with a professional air. "There's no scar. Morgana did good work."

"Of course! I knew healing magic before you did, Panther!"

Ryuji was stalking over, dragging his sledgehammer behind him in the effort to clean it off on the seagrass. "Whoa, Noir! One of those elephant dudes? That was the strongest of this lot."

Meanwhile, Futaba's green spacecraft lowered to the earth, metallic tentacles pulling her from the interior and depositing her neatly to her feet. The persona was a vehicle, somewhat like Makoto's, but Futaba didn't have much in the way of direct combat capabilities. She usually hovered out of range and supported the other members from afar.

"Hey!" said Ryuji. "How high did you go? Where you seen?"

"Don't be stupid. Of course not. These walls are super high now."

Haru waved at her in thanks. "I appreciate the defensive augments, Oracle. My wound was light thanks to you."

"Noooo, problem!" Futaba sniffed. Frowned. "What's that smell?"

"Burning," said Ann.

"Ah."

"Well, here Noir, I'll get your spear unstuck." Ryuji grabbed the slimey shaft and tugged- the fat flesh of the elephant warrior jiggling like jello. "Whew… really stuck." He jerked harder and harder, slowly making headway on freeing the weapon.

Ann looked further up the hill. "The houses look a lot different through that gate. The roads, too. And it looks like the next level is the palace itself."

"We're a little over halfway there- I think." said Morgana.

With a final meaty, wet sound, Ryuji freed Haru's polearm from the corpse. Haru stood and took it from him. "Then let's keep moving."

* * *

"Ren!"

He looked and found Makoto's crimson eyes looking at him from the kitchen window once again.

"Can you shuck the oysters? Me and Yusuke have our hands full here."

He glanced back at the veranda. The Americans were enjoying their sushi and chatting with each other. They should be fine for a time. "Sure."

He entered the kitchen and went to the cooler. The oysters were easy to find in a sack on a bed of ice- still smelling of sea water. He placed a dozen into a small tub, looked around for an oyster knife, and not finding one and not having the time, took a dinged-up chef's knife instead. It would be easier to cut himself with the big thing, but Ren was quite familiar with knives and doubted he would have a problem.

The kitchen was pretty tight with Makoto and Yusuke maneuvering around the stove and the garnish station, so Ren slipped past them with the tub, went out the back door, and started shucking the oysters on the back steps. It was pretty easy work and he was most of the way finished when a black car rolled into the parking lot behind the restaurant and stopped.

Ren's hand froze and his heart skipped a beat. The car just looked like a goon car. And sure enough, the door opened and a giant goon stood up out of the driver's seat, a big frown of concern on his face. He lifted his sunglasses with a ridiculously meaty arm, small eyes narrowing at Ren for the second time today.

"The fuck?" said Benkei as he slammed the car door shut. "What the fuck you doing, kid?"

"Shucking oysters," said Ren, before he could think of anything else. He added, "I'm a part-timer. I work here."

"You work here? The boss never hires part-timers." Benkei lumbered his bulk over to stare down at Ren.

Ren put a stupid look on his face. Could he get the man to go away? "Umm, I don't know. It's my first day. She's pretty busy."

"Huh," said Benkei, still staring at Ren. Then he turned towards the kitchen door.

"Hey, Ms. Otohime's with customers! You can't go in there!"

"Shut the fuck up, kid."

Time slowed for Ren as the bodybuilding murder suspect moved past him towards the kitchen door. Benkei was obviously a physically powerful thug and if he opened that door and saw Otohime frozen with the infiltration team standing around her... All of the Phantom Thieves were in danger. It was a tight space. There were cooking implements and knives that could become deadly weapons within easy reach, and Makoto and Yusuke wouldn't have much time to react even if Ren warned them. They were all capable fighters, but the sheer mass and raw power that Benkei's body could pump out could overwhelm them through basic physics.

Not to mention the unknown ramifications of severing contact between the infiltration team and Otohime.

But was Benkei the murderer? Or was he just some protein sucking asshole? Were the lives of Ren's friends in imminent danger or were they not? He couldn't be sure, but his instincts screamed that they were. Benkei was bad. To let him get within reach of his friends, within reach of Makoto, could be the worst mistake of his life. He thought of the scale again, and Makoto's life weighed more than the universe.

Ren had slaughtered a great many shadows and spirits and other such metaphysical entities, but he had never attacked another human being directly before. He'd never drawn blood intentionally. Never struck anything with malicious intent, though he'd threatened fair fights several times- but his would-be opponents always backed down. Ren looked at the knife in is hand. He reversed his grip on the blade in one smooth motion. In the end, the choice was obvious.

Ren struck backwards and drove the blade deep into the soft flesh behind Benkei's left knee. The man's underdeveloped leg buckled slightly and he let out a gasp and grunt of pain.

"Gahhhh?!"

Then Ren wrenched his arm to the side with all his strength, tearing the blade through and out of the side of the man's leg. Blood suddenly gushing warm and wet over Ren's closed fist.

Benkei let out a screech that hurt Ren's eardrums. He collapsed forwards into the door, clutching at his leg. Ren stood up and watched him, writhing and screaming. Ren froze in shock, human blood dripped from his hand. There was certainly no going back for him now.

The kitchen door flung open and Yusuke took in the scene, his eyes flicking from the screaming man, to Ren, to Ren's bloody knife, and back to the screaming man. Yusuke lifted a leg and push-kicked Benkei in the face with all his weight. The bodybuilder's head cracked into the wall of the building and the screaming stopped, but he was clearly still breathing. Ren sighed in relief.

Makoto appeared behind Yusuke, standing on tip-toes to see over his shoulder. "What- what did you two do?!"

Ren's mind started working again. "Yusuke," he said, "Find something to tie this guy up. We'll need to stash him in the kitchen, too. Makoto, can you heal his leg? Not all the way, if you can. Just enough so he stops bleeding. I don't want him to die on us, but I'd rather he couldn't walk."

Yusuke turned, almost knocked Makoto over, but then got around her and disappeared into the kitchen. Makoto stepped out onto the back steps. "Ren! You stabbed him?!"

"It was that or let him loose in the kitchen, Makoto!"

Makoto's eyes flicked to his, a mix of concern and anger on her face. "Okay! I understand what you're saying. It's just… this makes everything different!" She looked at Benkei's leg, blood was still gushing out with every beat of Benkei's heart. "You've assaulted someone with a deadly weapon!"

Ren watched the blood flow, too. Both of them stunned by it, precious seconds passing by.

"The game is over," said Ren. "I think this is what Lavenza meant."

Makoto shot him a look of alarmed understanding, then she focused back on the unconscious Benkei.

"Johanna…Mediarama.." Green mist flowed from her flickering persona, and most of Benkei's leg reassembled itself, red and pink flesh regenerating and sewing together. The blood stopped flowing. "He won't die from blood loss, but he might be able to walk again, too."

"We'll just tie him up extra," said Ren. Then he looked at Benkei's leg again. It barely looked wounded. An idea struck him. Maybe there was a going back for him after all. "Actually- heal him all the way."

"Why?"

"If there is no knife wound… did I ever stab him?"

Makoto looked at him. Her eyes were flashing with calculation. And worry. But she nodded, then healed Benkei again.

"Get his head too once we get him tied up. Yusuke kicked him pretty hard."

Yusuke arrived with some zip-ties. They put four on Benkei's wrists, behind his back. Then they looked at his arms again. Then added another five just to be sure. They looked at his legs and only put two around his ankles. Then Ren and Yusuke dragged Benkei's still form up the steps and across the kitchen tile, to lay face up in the corner beyond the infiltration team and Otohime. They had to sit and catch their breath for a moment. The man was heavy!

Makoto gasped. "Haru is bleeding!"

"What!?" both Ren and Yusuke shot to their feet and joined Makoto next to where Haru stood in her trance. A trail of blood had run down the side of her face from somewhere on her scalp. Makoto was already frantically looking through Haru's curly hair to find the wound.

"There's nothing. There's no cut or anything."

"Perhaps she was hurt, then healed," offered Yusuke, "That's common enough for a Palace infiltration."

"But why is she bleeding out here?!," said Ren, "She's inside someone's head!"

"We don't know," said Makoto, "We don't know anything! We moved too fast on this one! We were overconfident!" Her eyes were as frantic as Ren had ever seen them. Makoto didn't like the unknown. She viewed the unknown as her own personal failure.

Ren reached out to touch Makoto's face, but then he saw his own blood-drenched hand. He put his hand down, her cheek untouched, but the movement caught her attention. "You're right," he said, "I agree. But right now, we're all fine. Haru was wounded, and she was healed. She's fine. She's strong, like all of us. There is going to be a lot for us all to think about after today. Let's get through it. Let's get everyone home safe! And then we can plan to do it right next time."

Makoto closed her eyes and gathered herself. When they opened again, the fierce calculation was back. "Wash your hands," she told him.

"Yes."

Ren went to the kitchen sink and looked out to the veranda. The Americans were done with the sushi and seemed unsettled. They'd probably heard Benkei's screams- it was a wonder they were still there at all. Perhaps the building had cut off most of the volume. He hurriedly washed his hands, Benkei's blood flowing red into the dark drain. With the goon neutralized, they probably didn't really need to keep the restaurant facade going, but now they'd better calm their guests.

"Yusuke, I need to handle the Americans. Can you figure something to do with the pool of blood outside the backdoor? That needs to go away."

Yusuke looked a bit paler than usual, but his voice was the same as always.

"It's spilled paint. That's all. I'll figure something out."

"Quickly, yes?"

"Yes."

Ren left the kitchen.

Makoto yelled after him. "The oysters were contaminated. I'll shuck some new ones. Tell them one of the cooks cut themselves!"


	12. Chapter 12

"What is that?" Ryuji pointed to a wooden stairwell that went up to a long wooden walkway that terminated, seemingly to no purpose, in the middle of the air.

"I don't know, it looks kind of like a pier, but it's out of our way," said Haru, "Let's keep pushing for the central palace."

They were crouched in a small garden, taking cover behind a short decorative wall. This district was made of larger and richer homes, an obvious increase in quality over the homes of the cognitions back below them. However, there were no cognitions here. But there were shadows- tons and tons of shadows, marching around, standing around, all in their era-specific disguises. It seemed they were the residents of this area- Otohime's loyal soldiers and retainers.

Far too many to fight, so the Phantom Thieves slowly made their way with stealth. Thankfully, it was a well-decorated area, with pleasing little gardens like the one they were hiding in right now. Haru doubted a shadow had the capacity to appreciate aesthetics or relaxation, but the design was Otohime's creation, not theirs. And that design created ample broken sight-lines, nooks, crannies, and hedges for them to avoid the gaze of the relatively unobservant shadow soldiers.

Morgana was taking the lead here. His knowledge of shadows and his talent of stealth leading them steadily through the area. It was odd to follow a bipedal cat, and it was amazing how Morgana could silently move without knocking anything with the large scimitar he carried comically at his hip. But he did, and move by move, tense wait by tense wait, they neared the next gate to the center of Otohime's Palace.

A sandy courtyard stretched between the last of the buildings and the gate, beyond which towered the central building of the imperial city, a single level cerulean building with an oversized arched roof of dark gold wood, almost as if an elegant, gilded ship was constructed, then turned upside down, and placed atop. The Phantom Thieves eyed the clearing with trepidation.

"That's a trap," said Ryuji. "For real."

"What makes me nervous is that Ryuji can spot it," said Morgana. "Is it the trap within the trap?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means we may already be in the trap," said Futaba. "But what is it? All these shadows?"

"Maybe," said Haru, "If we get spotted, we'll be swarmed."

"Well, what if we just run through really fast?" said Ryuji, "Then knock down the walls or something on the other side?"

"You see a trap, and your plan is to run directly into it as fast as you can?" Morgana's voice was incredulous. "That sounds more like Ryuji to me."

"It could work."

"To kill us."

Haru began feeling uneasy. The last thing they needed was an argument in the middle of a heavily patrolled space. "Let's go around. Maybe there is another approach on one of the other sides of the palace." It would be another long journey through this city of shadows, and Haru's early ambivalence about time was starting to fade- if their phones still kept accurate time, they were nearing their fourth hour of the infiltration. Plenty of time, but if progress remained this slow- it could end up being tight.

* * *

Ren returned to the veranda, an apologetic smile on his face. The two Americans appeared anxious and expectant. He would need to employ English again.

"_Sorry. Someone was cut with a knife."_

"_What happened?"_

Ren searched for the English word for oyster, but it escaped him. Instead, he said: "_Shellfish."_ And then he mimicked shucking an oyster.

The woman's face lit up in understanding, her body language relaxing visibly. She spoke rapid-fire to the man again. His face similarly lit up and he relaxed. Ren relaxed. The sound must really have been muted out here. More of his English classes were coming back to his mind.

"_Sorry to disturb. Chef making new shellfish. Free. Because- disturbance."_

Both the man and woman spoke suddenly and Ren couldn't understand- he looked at them, allowing confusion to be visible on his face. The Americans stopped. Then looked at each other. Exchanged a short discussion.

"Thank you very much," said the woman.

"You are welcome. It should be ready soon." He turned back to the restaurant.

As expected, the tray of shucked oysters was awiting him in the chef's window. Makoto was there, watching. Yusuke was missing, presumably outside on his cleaning mission.

"I'm going to put the finishing touches on the fish when they get close to done with these," said Makoto. "Fish is quick- it was getting the sides ready that took so much work. I don't understand the woman's organizational system. Everything is everyplace."

"And Benkei?"

Makoto's head turned. "Still out, but I did heal his head." She looked back at Ren, crimson eyes gleaming with the sunlight from behind him. "How are they?"

"They bought the story. I think we are fine for now. We are still on track."

"But our exit strategy?"

Ren considered. They have a captive gang leader and a lieutenant hostage in the back of their own central hideout. It was delicate to say the least. "When the infiltration team comes out," said Ren, thinking it through, "maybe we can have a calling card ready, show it to Otohime, and go right back in. Benkei is her soldier. He called her boss- just like in the yakuza flicks. If she has a change of heart... that might solve both problems in one go."

"Might. If. Perhaps. Maybe." said Makoto, eyes narrowing. " I don't like those words anymore. And we always needed to wait for changes of heart before- and that's assuming it even still works."

"There's a Palace. It has to work. It wouldn't make sense otherwise. And when you think about it, the changes of heart were actually immediate. The waiting was just for the public evidence of it to appear."

Makoto's eyes shifted as she thought about that. "I suppose that is true."

"Don't worry. We've never failed, and this won't be the first time."

Makoto's eyes centered on him again. She nodded.

The kitchen door opened. Makoto's head whipped to the left and Ren's heart skipped a beat. Another goon?

"It's clean," said Yusuke's voice. "I used a bunch of rags and tossed them in the bin with all the fish guts."

Ren sighed in relief.

"Is there a lock on that door, Yusuke?" said Makoto.

"Yes, I'll lock it."

* * *

Haru tossed her halberd up into the air. It sunk deep into the tree trunk with a loud thunk, then she ducked back into the cover of the bushes. The infiltration team looked cautiously around. No shadows appeared to be investigating the sound.

"It's clear," said Morgana, already up in the tree, his cat claws not requiring any climbing assistance like a halberd. "Come on up!"

One by one, the team leapt to the halberd shaft. Pulled themselves up cautiously on the bouncing pole, steadying themselves against the sheer trunk of the tree, and then pulled themselves onto the thick branch about ten meters above the ground. Haru was last, and in a pre-discussed maneuver, leaned over on her belly, holding Morgana by his feet, and the humanoid cat tugged the weapon free and everyone pulled them both back up.

From there, it was a relatively easy climb up a tangle of thick branches until they could cross over to the other side of the wall they'd discovered. It bordered some small and adjacent district to the central palace building, and to their surprise and pleasure, the ground here was actually much higher than the shadow's city. What was a 30-meter sheer face on one side, was only a 4-meter drop to the ground on the other. They landed with ease.

Uniform rows of short, long buildings filled this area. No guards seemed to be around, but there was a constant sound- well, two sounds, Haru realized. First was almost like the sound a bag of chips makes when you crunch it up, and the other was a sort of metallic sound. And it was coming from all of the buildings in a dull cacophony.

"Man, what is that?" mumbled Ryuji.

"It will be hard to hear anyone approaching," said Morgana.

"Let's look," Haru pointed at the door to the nearest building. "It's probably something to do with Otohime's operations."

They tried the door. It was locked. Haru stabbed the blade of her halberd through the gap between the door and the floor, and with Ryuji's help, lifted the door off its hinges. Ann and Futaba taking up its free weight and letting it quietly down to the ground. They peered inside.

It was a sort of chicken coop, but not with chickens. Or at least, not birds with chicken heads. They had human heads. In front of each human-bird, a schute would intermittently deposit a plastic bag with powder in it, identical to the bag Ryuji brought back to the hotel room in the physical world. The human-bird would gobble up the bag, the plastic crinkling against its teeth, and then it would shortly lay a gold coin, which fell through a hole and landed atop a steadily growing pile of gold coins.

"The drugs," said Futaba. " I bet they come from that mid-air pier. When a shipment comes in, the shadows bring it here to be turned into money."

"This isn't exactly telling us something we didn't already know," said Ann.

"No," agreed Haru, "But maybe we can learn what the money is for."

"Money is for money," said Ryuji. "Does a drug dealer need a reason?"

"Maybe," Haru said. It was a good point. Plenty of people just attained money for the sake of having more. But Otohime didn't seem the type. Why amass huge wealth, and apparently an army of gangsters, and then work by herself in a humble seaside restaurant? She didn't even hire a waiter. That was not the lifestyle of a woman with expensive tastes and extravagant tendencies. Otohime was a woman who knew what she wanted- so… how was the money being used to get the thing she wanted?

They exited the building. Morgana climbed up the coop wall, claws digging into the wood. He peeked over the top, keeping his ears low and back over his head.

"I see another gate! It's pretty close. It goes right into the central area. A main road passes through here and goes in."

"Guards?"

"Not that I can see from here."

The lack of security was surprising, but then again, Otohime secluded herself on the seaside strip. The shadow city they passed already might represent her bubble of soldiers which kept her home territory safe- a buffer zone which allowed Otohime to move about her hometown like a normal woman, no tell-tale bodyguards required. Ryuji said the drugs were transported away by disguised garbage truck… that geographic distance was not represented here, but Otohime's mind held the consumption of her product close to her heart.

They moved on. Morgana crawling along the top of the coops, and leaping the gaps, while the rest of the team followed at a small distance on the ground, keeping between the wall and the coops. Haru could see the turn in the wall they were hugging- marking the gate into the center. Morgana froze on the roof, then scurried to the gap just before the last coop and hopped to the ground.

"Someone is coming!" he hissed.

Haru and the others gathered around him in the shadow of that final alley way and listened. Trying to catch whatever noise Morgana could hear over the sound of all the drug-eating chickens around them. Soon they too could hear the crunching sound of footsteps on gravel- something heavy was coming their way. Then shortly after, a softer crunching sound. Two guards? A big one and a small one, perhaps?

The footsteps stopped nearby, perhaps just on the other side of the coop on the main pathway.

"Lord Benkei," said a voice.

"What is the progress on the next shipment?" said a much deeper voice.

"Almost complete, my Lord. A few more days at most."

"The Princess wants it sooner."

"I understand. But.. forgive me Lord Benkei- the animals can only consume so much at a time. We need more."

A long silence.

"I will advise Her of your recommendation."

"No! Please! Don't! I'll… I'll figure something out."

"That would be wise."

The footsteps separated and faded away.

The Phantom Thieves looked at each other.

"Didn't Joker say he met someone with that nickname? Benkei?" said Ann.

Ryuji nodded, grinned, and cracked his knuckles. "Finally, a big shot. Let's take him out."

Morgana's ears went back. "Again with the charge-in idea? He's someone we want to avoid! We are Phantom Thieves! Not Phantom Warriors!"

Haru agreed with Morgana. "He's right, Skull. Ideally, we can get past him and into the place he might be guarding. We just need the Treasure, that's all."

"Tch. Fine."

Haru turned to Futaba. "Are your sensors picking anything up?"

"Without sending up my ship, my range is a bit limited. But for sure the Treasure is close. We take a right through that gate. I think there is some kind of bridge? And then inside the main building is our target."

"Otohime?"

Futaba shook her head. "I don't have any readings on her- but based on past experience, she is surely there, too."

That sounded about right to Haru, too. "Okay. Then let's get this done."

They nodded to each other, determination on their faces- then continued their sneaking along the wall and peaked around the corner. The main road went through here. There were some shadows standing sentry near the outside gate of this area, but they were facing away, down towards the shadow city below. The gate towards the inside appeared to lack sentries. They turned the corner.

A long bridge was before them over a dark moat, and a single giant shadow guard stood on the center of it. Its frame featured massively broad shoulders, thick tree-like arms, and melon fists which grasped a long spear with a curved blade at the end. Haru recognized it as a naginata. The soldier shrank in width towards its hips, and small, rather flimsy looking legs. In a way, his figure was like a downward pointing triangle.

It saw them plainly. But it shouted no alarm. Instead, it raised its empty hand and beckoned them closer. They cautiously approached the very edge of the bridge, but did not seek to cross it.

"I knew I sensed intruders," the guard said. "I'm glad you've come to die." He beckoned them again. "Who will face me first?"

This was like some kind of movie. The lone warrior on a bridge, calling out to his enemies for an honorable duel. Haru eyed the creature. It was not masked, instead it's small-eyed face was wrapped in some sort of shawl. The lack of a mask meant this was not a disguised shadow like the soldiers they faced before, but a hostile cognition of Otohime's. This guard was special and would be dangerous to face. Luckily, it wasn't attacking them. It was a fool if it thought they were stupid enough to fight it one-on-one. Haru began considering how else to defeat the guard. Maybe destroy the bridge? No they needed that to-

Ryuji walked out onto the bridge.

"Skull!"

"Wait!"

"Don't!"

"You moron!"

"My first challenger!" said the soldier, readying its spear. "I am Benkei. I am your death."

Skull nonchalantly hefted his sledgehammer as he walked towards the giant warrior. "I'm Skull. Get ready to die."

The creature called Benkei sank into a stance, spear out in front, curved blade arced slightly over its head and towards the ground. Ryuji continued to walk confidently forward.

"Oracle," hissed Haru, "Get him some defense!"

Futaba started chanting under her breath. "Rakukaja, Rakukaja, Rakukaja, Rakukaja…"

Haru focused on Benkei, her tongue moving subconsciously in her mouth- she knew what spell she would probably need.

"Skull! Damnit! Get away from it!" shouted Ann.

Ryuji didn't respond.

Haru didn't have time to be mad at him. The kid inside Ryuji, or the hatchling, as Otohime had put it, was coming out in Ryuji. He read too much manga. What was his favorite? Lone Wolf and Cub or something? He was living some sort of fantasy, and Haru desperately didn't want it to get him killed.

The frozen form of Benkei came to life, he advanced quickly, and Ryuji started to bring his sledgehammer up- then there was a silver flash, and Ryuji's sledgehammer was flying through the air. Benkei was spinning, the blade coming around for a second strike.

"Astarte!" yelled Haru, her mouth moving as fast as she could make it move. "Tetrakarn!"

Benkei's blade flashed to Ryuji's exposed neck- and rebounded from some invisible barrier, sparks flying. Unfazed, Benkei rotated back with the reverse momentum of the blocked blow, and struck Ryuji in the solar plexus with the blunt end of the staff. Ryuji flew backward towards Haru and the others, Ann and Morgana jumping out of the way as he plowed into the dirt and rolled beyond them. He came to a stop, and raised himself onto his arms.

"Hurk," said Ryuji. "Huuurk." He was trying to recover his breath.

Haru sighed in relief. The fool wasn't dead.

Benkei remained on the bridge. "Distributing aid? Well, it means more battles for me. Who is next?"

"Let's blast the dumb fuck," said Ann.

Haru was in full agreement. "Oracle, give us a boost."

"Matarukaja, Matarukaja, Matarukaja, Matarukaja….."

"Hecate! Agidyne!"

"Astarte! Psiodyne!"

"Mercurius! Garudyne!"

"...Huuuurk…."

Fire and razor wind flung out from Ann and Morgana's personas, shredding Benkei's clothing and setting it aflame. The warrior's head reeled from the invisible strike of Haru's mind-blast. Benkei staggered, but remained upright.

"Cowards!"

"Hit him again!"

This time, their spells were joined by Ryuji's lightning. Benkei teetered on his feet. He drove his spear into the wood of the bridge, leaning on it. "Weaklings!" he yelled in defiance.

The Phantom Thieves hit him with another salvo- Benkei's body shook, his head lolling, his limbs jerking from electricity, half his body aflame and large gashes bleeding over most of his torso. He slumped against his spear, but remained on his feet, smoke rising from him like burned meat on a campfire.

Haru was breathing heavily- so much energy expended in so short a time winded her. Everyone was the same. And Benkei was still up.

"Seriously," huffed Ryuji. "What's with this guy?"

"I-" gasped Ann. "I- think he's dead."

"He's still standing though," said Morgana.

Haru watched Benkei's smoking body. He did seem very still. "Maybe we should wait and make sure. He could kill us in a single blow if we get too close."

They waited. Eventually, the flames on Benkei's clothing died out and the smoke drifted away. Benkei still didn't move.

"I guess he is dead," said Ryuji.

"Let me check," said Morgana. "Zorro. Garu."

A gust of wind blasted out, Benkei wide frame took it fully, pushing him back from the spear. He teetered, then finally collapsed to the surface of the bridge.

Haru sighed in relief. "All right. Let's cross and get this done."

They headed across the bridge, moving as quickly as possible around the giant corpse of Benkei. Haru paused to pick out the dead warrior's naginata. It was longer than her halberd, and even the blade was bigger, but it was also somehow lighter. Just the feel of it in her hands gave her a sense that this was something special. She took it with her, casting her loyal old weapon aside with some regret- but an upgrade was an upgrade.

On the other side of the bridge, the central building stood silently. A narrow stone walkway met the end of the bridge and continued on to the start of the cobblestone flooring which surrounded the building itself. An aesthetically pleasing mix of flower garden and rock garden surrounded the outer rim of the area. Somewhere a fountain bubbled quietly. An unfelt wind ruffled some bamboo.

The infiltration team advanced cautiously. But there were no guards, and they moved unchallenged down the path, over the cobbles, and up the steps into the dark, cool interior of the palace. The cerulean and gold color combination of the outer districts was abandoned in favor of red coral and white pearl. Redwood rice paper wall frames sectioned out rooms from what appeared to be one large overhanging roof.

"So, you've finally arrived," said the voice of Otohime.

Rice-paper dividers sprang out of way of their own accord and the Phantom Thieves froze in surprise. A straight passage formed from where the infiltration team stood to the center of the building. There kneeled Otohime herself, clad in a sea-blue kimono, golden eyes flashing at them in the semi-darkness.

Behind her, a short pedestal stood- upon which was a crystal glass case, and inside, the arced shapes of two swords- one large, and one smaller. Their scabbards were red and pearl, and they, and the area around them, glowed with a white aura.

"The Treasure!" said Morgana, "It's already here! We don't need a calling card!"

"For real? Why?"

"Who knows! Maybe because we are inside her cognition directly? We don't have to summon it to some remote Palace rooted elsewhere in the Metaverse."

"So!" said Otohime, breaking their conversation. "You've come for my father's swords? Why? Katanas are common enough. Even old ones like these. Go to a museum! I'll not surrender mine."

Haru advanced down the cleared path to Otohime, the others following, their feet quiet on the pearl white tatami floors. "We've come to steal your heart." said Haru, evoking the voice of the beauty thief, "In whatever form it may take."

Otohime laughed. "How dramatic. My heart? To what purpose?"

"To have you atone for your crimes!" Haru pointed an accusing finger at the kneeling woman. "For the greed which causes you to murder. To exploit. And to poison your kin!"

"Atone for my crimes?" Otohime's smile was gone. Her golden eyes glowed brighter. "My crimes?! All I've done is to atone for the crimes committed against me! Against my parents! I'm getting back everything that was stolen! Every centimeter of dirt and rock and stream!"

Otohime shot to her feet in a surprisingly youthful movement. "You young fools! Grown in the weak arms of peace! Traitors! And you don't even know it! You can't even grasp what the world is!" She flung an accusing finger at Ann. "Even your parent doesn't know it! Creating such a halfblood freak! Forsaking our people for a foreigner!"

"But I've seen it. I've lived it! I've lived in the real world my entire life, ever since the smell of boiling flesh chased me from my bed! My father fought foreigners at sea because he was a man! And for that, the foreigners bombed his city, burned his home, cooked his wife! I can still hear mother's screams!"

Otohime's human form contorted, dissolved, then erupted into a geyser of red scales- a massive, bearded dragon head shooting up, up, exploding out of the roof of the palace and into the sky, followed by a seemingly endless snake-like torso. The speed of the dragon's ascent created a loud hissing noise, air running along the scaled texture of the beast.

Haru watched it rise, up, and up, her neck straining to follow it, until it seemed to finally brush the top of the water barrier which surrounded Otohime's Palace. But still the body continued to shoot into the air, and the sky visible through the hole in the roof began to fill up with the tangled length of the seemingly endless dragon.

"We have to fight that?" yelled Ann.

"No!" shouted Morgana, "If it's like before, we just need to steal the Treasure! It just always seemed to turn into a fight in the end, anyway!" He pointed a paw at the crystal sword case. "Get it!"

Futaba ran around the still swirling body of the dragon shooting up out of Otohime's fallen kimono. She snatched the sword case and turned back, sprinting back in their direction with her arms full of the glowing treasure.

They all turned and sprinted for the exterior of the palace. "The get-away has always been our weakness!" shouted Haru.

"Well, fuck! Let's get it right this time!" yelled Ryuji as they burst back into the watery light of the gardens. "Oracle, get us out of here!"

"Okay! Necronomicon!" Her green flying saucer materialized and quickly snagged her into its interior, taking the Treasure in with her. Ann, Haru, Ryuji, and Morgana scrambled up onto its rounded surface. Haru stabbed Benkei's naginata into the green metal so she didn't have to hold it. She could apologize later for the mark.

"Hold on!" shouted an electronic version of Futaba's voice, and the spacecraft shot up into the air, smashing the riding members to its metallic surface with the force of the acceleration. Once clear of the rooftops, the saucer accelerated back towards the distant entry shack.

Haru's hands scrambled over the smooth metallic surface of the flying saucer, finding nothing to grab onto, finally securing herself by gripping the haft of Benkei's embedded weapon. But everyone else was slowly drifting towards the rearward side of the craft. They had no such hold. Morgana's claws were screeching audibly on the metal.

"Oracle!" Haru shouted, "There's nothing to hold on to! We're all going to fall!"

"Okay, okay!" Futaba tilted the craft forward slightly, making the surface angle toward their direction of travel, now the wind and acceleration were pushing them firmly to the top of the saucer.

"Shiiiiiit!" yelled Ryuji.

Haru turned and looked behind them. The massive snake-like dragon was chasing, it's bearded face bobbing through the sky behind them as its body undulated weirdly in mid-air. It was gaining. Very obviously gaining.

Ryuji hammed on the spacecraft with his fist. "Oracle! Oracle! Go faster, damnit!"

"No-fucking-duh!" shouted Futaba.

Ann raised a cautious hand towards the approaching dragon. "Hecate! Agidyne!"

The fireball shot out, but the fanged face effortlessly dodged it, and its swirling, slinky body coiled itself out of the way, too.

"Bitch!" shouted Ann. She lifted her tommy gun.

Brat-tat-tat-tat-tat!

Red specks and splashes of torn scale rippled across the dragon's jowls. It let out a deafening roar and began moving more wildly as Ann kept up the fire. But the dragon's evasive movements were allowing them to gain some distance on the beast.

Brat-tat-tat-tat-tat!

"Captain Kidd! Ziodyne!" A bolt of yellow light seared from Ryuji's persona and sliced under one of the dragon's eyes.

Twap! Went Morgana's ridiculously large sling-shot.

Brat-tat-tat-tat-tat!

Haru raised herself to hands and knees. She calmed herself, and carefully imagined the dragon's right eye getting blown away.

"Astarte! One-Shot!"

KOOM!

A tracer round sailed off into the sky, and burst the dragon's right eye in a spray of blood and ichor. The dragon's head veered off with another roar. It lost elevation, sinking downward toward the ground.

"Nice shot, Noir!" Ryuji gave a thumbs up.

"Hey.. hey! It's doing something!" shouted Ann.

Haru looked down over the edge of the saucer. The dragon's head was pacing them, tracking them, a glowing light gathering in the dark pit of its open mouth.

"Oracle! Dodge! Dodge!"

But the spacecraft only started to bank when a searing blue beam tore up through its surface, narrowly missing Ryuji as it shot out the other side and vaporized water on the far barrier of the Palace grounds. The ship shuddered and lost speed.

"Oracle!?"

"I'm okay! But- I'm losing power!"

"Fuck! Here it comes!" shouted Ryuji, pointing.

With the slower speed of the spaceship, the dragon was streaking at them like a bullet train.

Brat-tat-tat-tat!

Twap! Twap!

"Astarte! One-Shot!"

KOOM!

The dragon's face was peppered with blood and wounds, but still it came.

"Everyone hold-!"

Haru's shout died in her throat as she watched Ryuji leap off the spacecraft into thin air.

"Ryuji!" yelled Haru, code names forgotten.

"Skull!" shouted Morgana.

"No!" shouted Ann.

"Seiten Taisei!" shouted Ryuji, voice clear and defiant over the rushing wind "God's Hand!"

His monkey-like persona flashed into existence, a golden bo-staff arching down, just meeting Ryuji's fist as the dragon's bearded face charged right into the blow.

A searing flash of yellow light forced Haru's eyes to close and she turned away instinctively. Her eardrums rattled with the roar and pressure of an explosion. The spacecraft under her shook and was shoved by the shockwave. She barely snagged the lip of the saucer, holding herself on.

"Futaba! Ryuji!" shouted Ann, also forgetting code names. "He's falling. Futaba! Futaba, get him!"

"I see him!" said Futaba's frantic voice.

The flying saucer jerked to a new course. Haru's hands lost their grip on the edge of the craft. She rolled as the surface of the spacecraft moved under her tumbling body. She caught the sight of the dragon arching out and away from them, black smoke streaming from its head, then she saw the green metallic surface of the spacecraft, then the blue water far above, and then the green seagrass far below, and she was falling, too.

"Haru!" shouted Morgana.


	13. Chapter 13

Wind whistled past Haru's face, her eyes tearing from the force of it. Icy fear froze her limbs, her throat, her mind- for seemingly endless seconds, she could do nothing but tumble, her existence a revolution of the sky's ocean blue and the grass-covered stone. Then a surge of adrenaline snapped her back to reality- what few seconds of that she had left. What could she do? A defensive spell? Was slapping against the ground something she could reflect?

Then a furry projectile collided with her back, sharp claws dug painfully into her skin. It was Morgana, but the ground was right there!

"Mercurius!" shouted Morgana's high-pitched voice into Haru's ear, painful even over the wind. "Magarudyne!"

A hurricane gust of wind surged past Haru's head towards the ground- she felt her ears be pushed flat forward from the force of it. But all she could see was the ground, rushing up to meet her. She screamed, Morgana screaming, too- then a new burst of air hit Haru from the front, rising back up from the ground, forcing her eyes to close, and shoving her scream right back into her throat, halting her breathing.

"Errk.." she heard herself say as her downward momentum was slowed dramatically, whipping her head forward with the deceleration, her limbs whipping down in the same manner- and then it reversed. She was pushed back UP into the air a short distance by this new wind, floated with a dream-like quality, and then finally fell normally about eight meters down to land on her back- her head snapping back onto something furry and soft. Morgana howled in feline pain.

I'm alive. I'm alive? I'm alive! Haru breathed in ragged gasps, feeling the pounding veins in her forehead starting to calm slightly. High above in the blue sky of water, she could see the minuscule shapes of dolphins playing. They seemed to leap up into the sun to vanish and then reappear in sudden bursts of shadows. This place was amazingly beautiful.

"Noir.." groaned Morgana. Haru felt her fluffy pillow move hesitantly. "Are you okay?"

The spell of lethargy was broken. Haru shot up and turned to look at Morgana. He was also on his back, four limbs, paws, and tail spread-eagled in the seagrass- eyes closed in a grimace of pain.

"Mona! You saved me! Thank you! I'm fine, are you okay?" She rubbed the humanoid cat on the cheek with a mixture of concern and deep affection.

"Mmm, I think I'm getting better," he said, lifting his chin to change the direction of Haru's rubbing. And Morgana was so sure he wasn't a cat, but when he did things like that…

Then Morgana's eyes shot open. "Skull!" He bounced to his feet to look into the sky.

Fear flooded back through Haru again- she'd forgotten! Her brief dance with death having temporarily wiped her memory. She also stood, searching the sky.

At great distance and elevation, the Otohime dragon was still snaking its way through the sky, but black smoke continued to emit from someplace on its head. It seemed to be constantly turning back upon itself in a sort of holding pattern. But where was Futaba's flying saucer? Haru could only see the lighter smoke trail from the spacecraft's own damage. Her eyes followed it, and then spotted the craft itself limping at low elevation, hovering a meter or so above the rolling seagrass fields. They were likely combing the land for Haru and Morgana. There were two blond people riding the craft.

"Ryuji!" shouted Morgana, jumping into the air. He took out his scimitar and waved it widely. The shining weapon did the trick, and Haru could see Ryuji raise his arm and point in their direction. The flying saucer headed in their direction.

"Noir! Thank goodness!" shouted Ann as the ship approached. "You're amazing Mona!"

Morgana struck a triumphant pose. "Of course, Lady Ann. Don't ever forget!"

"Ryuji! Are you okay?" asked Haru, as she climbed back atop the hovering ship.

"Yeah, Futaba caught me. All according to plan."

"Plan?" said Futaba's electronic voice as the ship steered back towards the real-world shack. "After punching a dragon in the face, in mid-air, you planned to pancake flop onto my fuselage with a broken arm? Good plan."

"Sure! Ann was there. She can heal. I knew I would be fine."

"Wow, you should take up shogi."

"Maybe after we get out of here. That dragon is still looking pretty pissed."

Haru gazed at the distant dragon, still smoking and wandering back and forth in the sky. "What did you do to it? I didn't see, it was too bright."

"Took like half its face off! It was awesome!"

"It really was," said Ann.

Morgana nodded with a sage look on his face. "Skull charging in on his own has to be the right call at least once."

"At least once?!"

"Or maybe twice!" said Futaba, "I think it's ready for action again."

"For real?... Oh, man.. Here it comes!"

They were still a few hundred meters from the shack, and their speed was not fantastic. Haru didn't think the injury slowed the dragon. It seemed just as fast as it was before, even with its blackened, bone-exposed face. It was slithering down through the sky toward them. No. Perhaps not directly towards them. But towards the-?

"I think it's going for the shack," said Haru. Ann and Ryuji looked at her in worry, then back at the distant dragon.

"So what happens if it does that?" wondered Ryuji. "It's not like it can hurt our physical bodies, right?"

Ann's hands went to the side of her face. "What if it closes off our exit!"

"Let's not risk it!" said Morgana. "Oracle, can we get more speed?"

"No! You think I wouldn't be going as fast as I could?"

Ryuji started to show signs of worry. He rubbed the back of his neck. "Maybe we can shoot it when we get close enough."

Haru didn't think so. The dragon was clearly going to reach the shack before they could. It was writhing its way down, and would be there in a matter of moments- meanwhile, their own pace seemed deadly sluggish compared to the beast. What would happen if the shack was destroyed? Would they be trapped here? Would they be killed? Severed from their mortal bodies. Brains shutting down for lack of a soul. They'd gone into this mission with too little information! But where could they have gotten any? The world was remade and all the rules were different.

Down streaked the dragon- it seemed intent on crushing the building under its bulk. The little shack from whence they all emerged was dwarfed by the looming beast. Everyone on Futaba's limping spaceship sucked in breath as the collision became imminent- Ryuji's hands went into his hair. "Ohhh mannn!"

THOOM!

The resonation of the impact was heavy in the air- it struck the shack broadside, but the dragon's forward momentum stopped abruptly, as if the creature ran into a mountainside. Its snake body, still hurtling forward, spilled over the stymied head and then over the roof of the shack; the giant beast resembling a derailing train. The shack stood within the chaos, seemingly untouched and unaffected.

Ryuji jumped in place, yelling in excitement. "It can't be destroyed! And the dumb bitch ran right into it! I hope that hurt, bitch!"

Haru let out a breath of relief. At least one thing was working in their favor here. She watched in satisfaction as the dragon recoiled in confusion, roared at the shack, and began generating that blue light in its mouth again. The dragon pulled back and shot out the blue beam at the roof of the house. It stuck cleanly, but the shack was undamaged. It did not catch aflame. it did not even seem to acknowledge that the Otohime dragon was even a thing. Haru smiled in relief and pleasure. Then the dragon looked at them. Haru's smile vanished. The dragon's mouth light started glowing again.

"Oh shit! Oh Shit!" shouted Ryuji. "Jump!"

Ryuji's voice was in that tone which commanded attention. Haru snatched up her spear and leaped. She landed on her feet, legs bent, and she consumed the forward momentum from the spaceship by rolling forward onto the ground and then sliding on the slick seagrass. Her spear tangling in the undergrowth somewhere behind her. As soon as she was stopped, she shot to her feet.

Futaba's persona was in two pieces, smoking and ruined in the seagrass. The beam sliced through cleanly, leaving a molten metal trail in its wake. Futaba herself was crawling from the wreckage, shaking free the last of some clingy tentacles of safety harness. The glowing sword case was on the ground near her. Ryuji, Ann, and Morgana were also rising from their own tumbles from the now destroyed saucer.

Their goal, the apparently indestructible shack of their physical world, was now guarded by the dragon. It seemed to have swapped out its airborne celestial behavior, and now took inspiration from the cobra. The dragon's body wrapped around the small building, and the snarling, bone-scarred face staring down upon them- ready to bite.

"What is this now!?" yelled Morgana, "Zero-for-nine on clean getaways?!"

* * *

After some struggle, Ren managed to operate the VISA card reader and run the payment from the Americans. He returned the card, awaited the signed receipt, and bowed the satisfied couple off the veranda and into the early evening sunset. With a sigh of relief, he set the signed bill in the chef's window. Makoto rested her forehead on the cool metal surface.

"Ah, and Otohime runs this place by herself! How does she manage it?"

Yusuke took up the receipt and gazed at it. "They overpaid."

"I think it's a tip," said Ren. "It's an American thing. Extra money for the service."

"Excellent," said Yusuke. "I'm in need of a little extra for this trip."

"Technically, I'm the service. It would belong to me."

"Unjust! I helped cook the food. They would never pay you anything extra if you didn't have the food I made to bring them."

"I don't invent American customs."

"Guys," said Makoto, "We don't actually work here. Let's just hope the rest of this afternoon is quiet."

"It better be." Ren sighed and rubbed his bangs. "We involved ourselves in this mess because business is supposedly being scared away from this place."

"Well, Americans can't read Japanese," reasoned Makoto, "so whatever reviews keeping people away would not impact them. This kind of town is more for domestic tourism, right? Foreigners usually stick to the major cities."

Yusuke's head turned to look to the far side of the kitchen, outside of Ren's view. He pursed his lips briefly. "The big man is awake," he whispered, "He's faking it."

"How do you know?"

"Models. You can tell when they fall asleep in their position. They lose body tension. And that man is very tense. He's testing his bonds."

Makoto looked at Ren with sudden concern. "We forgot to gag him."

Ren was confident that Benkei was not going to get loose, so it shouldn't be too hard to rectify that mistake. "Okay. Yusuke, you do a blindfold, and I'll gag him. Stay back Makoto, please- he hasn't seen your face yet, and I want it to stay that way. One less villain who knows who you are would make me feel better."

Makoto's eyes narrowed, and for a moment, Ren thought she was about to object. She was one of their strongest fighters but she'd been locked to an almost gender-stereotyped role this mission. But in the end, she simply nodded. Ren was relieved. It was selfish, but he enjoyed the tiny bit of peace of mind which Makoto's anonymity to Benkei provided him. Though it would be moot if the infiltration team didn't succeed in changing the old woman's heart.

* * *

The infiltration team advanced cautiously over the open ground, looking to get into comfortable range of their weaponry and abilities. Futaba, still clutching the treasure, hung back. Her ship was destroyed, but she still had her other, stranger, persona in her back pocket. Haru could not think of any good reason the girl should be on foot. They may be equals on the team, but Boss would not forgive any injury to come to the girl.

"Oracle!" Haru shouted back. "What are you doing? Get into your persona!"

Futaba's binocular eyes turned to Haru, her mouth opening in surprise. "Okay!" She stopped and stepped back a few paces. "Prometheus!"

A black spheroid drone materialized above the girl, and with robotic appendages, snatched up Futaba and the Treasure and took her into itself. The black surface of the floating sphere began glowing with chromatic lines, and a derpy smiley face pattern could be discerned as Futaba retreated and ascended, no longer worried about being seen at higher elevations. Haru watched her go, relieved that their fragile member could at least be safe from the coming battle.

Haru turned back towards the dragon- its head was shifting back and forth in a threatening dance, as if considering its first target.

"It can't possibly take that much more," shouted Ann, "Look at it!"

"When we get an opening, let's hit it hard!" said Morgana.

Haru's eyes flicked to the dragon's body, coiled about the shack. "If we get much closer, we can just attack the torso. That will be an easier target than that head."

"Uh.. it's looking real hard at me," said Ann. She stopped and readied her gun, on the balls of her feet, ready to dodge.

Ryuji sprinted for her. The dragon head shot out, but Ryuji was faster, putting himself between Ann and the beast.

"Seiten Ten-!" Ryuji shouted, cocking another punch- but the dragon halted and backed off. "Hey! Come back here!"

"It's scared of you!" Haru shouted. "Try to keep the head away, Skull! We'll move up and attack the body."

The dragon seemed to only have eyes for Ryuji now, retreating out to full height and length to stay away from the blond-haired warrior. The beast's mouth started glowing again. A hot blue energy beam spat out. Ryuji leaped to the side as a line of seagrass burst into flame. The others took the opportunity to move closer.

Haru realized the dragon's fixation on Ryuji could be used to their advantage. "Skull!"

"What?"

"Let it hit you next time!"

"What?!"

"Trust me!" Haru imagined Ryuji reflecting the dragon's laser beam. "Astarte! Makarakarn!"

"Ohhh!" Ryuji laughed and then waved his hands and jumped around. "Hey! Over here!"

The dragon didn't seem to have Otohime's intellect, so its mouth began obligingly charging up its attack. Ryuji thrust his arms out and stuck out his chest. The azure beam of light flashed off an invisible barrier just in front of his body, and shot back at the point of origin. It burned out the back of the dragon's head and off to the distant water barrier. The dragon recoiled, only managing a gargling sort of roar in response.

"Finish it!" shouted Haru.

"Hecate! Blazing Hell!"

"Astarte! Psiodyne!"

"Mercurius! Garudyne!"

"Seiten Taisei! Ziodyne!"

The earth shook as the titanic beast thrashed, first reeling from the force of their spells, and then writhing within the firestorm of Ann's persona. It tried to ascend once more, abandoning the shack. But it faltered and collapsed back to the ground, sending a new tremor under the feet of the Phantom Thieves. The dragon's struggles lessened, and the beast began to shrink, first slowly, then at a faster and faster rate. The flames vanished. Then, finally, it was just a kneeling Otohime, drooping with fatigue. Her gold eyes regarded them with tears and rage.

"Foreigners killed my father at sea. Foreigners burned my mother in her bed. MacArthur stripped away their lands...MY lands! And gave it to peasants! I've spent my life working to get it back. All of it! And I was going to finally have a Prime Minister in my back pocket!..." Otohime's anger broke and sorrow melted over her face. "But then you all, at the very end, came to ruin it all. Such a cruel fate. Better to have died in '45… what a wasted life. A failure of a life."

"What happened in '45?" asked Ryuji.

Futaba's drone-like persona returned to earth and deposited her back onto the ground- glowing sword case in hand. "Seriously, Skull? Queen is right. You really need to study."

"The War," said Ann.

Ryuji scratched his head. "What war? You mean THE war? The bomb war? That was forever ago!"

"She was a child then," said Haru. She felt pity towards the old woman. This was someone who also lost her parents, and at a younger age than herself. It didn't excuse Otohime's crimes, but Haru thought she could understand how one could become distorted from such a tragic beginning in life.

"Old news," said Ryuji without a hint of compassion, "Let's get this Treasure out of here. Forget the hag. Come on, Oracle, let's get that thing to the shack."

Futaba jogged to catch up with Ryuji. Ann and Haru closed in on Otohime. She looked at them with fear in her golden eyes. Haru saw sadness in Ann's expression, too. Her blue eyes flickered to Haru, she nodded. It was time to go. Otohime's shadow would take care of herself.

As they turned away from Otohime, Ryuji shouted at them from the side of the shack. "Hey! The Treasure won't go out!"

"What?" shouted Morgana, and ran towards the shack.

"We can't get it through the window! It just stops in mid-air!"

Haru and Ann again shared looks. This time of confusion. If they couldn't escape from the Palace with the Treasure, how were they supposed to change Otohime's heart? Haru returned her attention to Otohime. The old woman remained listless in her defeat. They couldn't destroy her shadow- she would then die like father. Haru never wanted to see blood pour from anyone's eyes ever again.

"Maybe.." mumbled Ann.

"What is it?"

"Well.. I don't know for sure, but we've changed hearts without stealing a treasure before."

Haru's memory went back to Mementos, and a certain thin, misguided ally of theirs. "Mishima."

Ann nodded. "Right. We convinced his shadow to change, and Mishima changed his own heart." She looked back at the kneeling Otohime. "Perhaps we have to do that now."

"Then why have a Treasure?"

Ann shook her head. "I don't know. Maybe we need to use it somehow?"

Use it? How could they use a sword case? Or perhaps they needed to use the swords within? But how?

"Hey! Old hag!" Ryuji shouted. He was stalking back across the seagrass towards them. Morgana and Futaba on his heels- Futaba still holding the glowing sword case.

"How do we steal your treasure?" Ryuji asked.

"She's not going to know that," sighed Morgana.

"Otohime," said Haru, again pointing her hand accusingly at the old woman. "You must atone for your sins. In whatever way you can, you must repent and repay the world your debt."

"Why?" moaned Otohime. "The world took my family- my reason to live. I was dead before I even got started. I've been dead all this time- a dead thing seeking the past. Just kill me and be done with it."

Despair. Otohime was infected with it. It was not rage that distorted her, after all- but obsessive sorrow. Haru realized they needed to remove that curse from her soul, but how?

While her mind whirled away, Ryuji was tapping his feet in impatience. With a grunt of frustration, he snatched the sword case from Futaba's hands. He lifted it over his head and smashed it to the ground in front of Otohime. The glass shattered and the swords, freed of their glass prison, slid across the seagrass to stop in front of Otohime's crying form. The white aura of the Treasure faded.

"Why did he die, huh?! Why did any of them die?" yelled Ryuji, "They were good people born in a terrible time. They couldn't change that- but they did their best! So what the fuck are you doing? What do your parents think of you now?"

Otohime's head bowed in shame, but she reached out tearfully for her father's swords, took them to her breast, cradled them. Haru caught a glimpse of a memory- a small girl with a stuffed animal, weeping alone and in the dark, a city burning behind her. Haru blinked, and it was old Otohime again, sobbing over time-aged scabbards.

Haru felt her own sorrow rise up within her, emerging from the dark well which her own father's death drilled down into her soul. She knew Otohime's pain. It was not agony over what was lost, but a realization of what would not come to pass. Her father's missing face at Haru's graduation hurt enough. But she knew that there would be a missing arm down the aisle of a church. A missing lap for a newborn. That was the real tragedy; all the should be's that were now forever never to be. It was a pain which snuck up on you, came back to strike at moments when the world should be full of joy- an absence that made itself known at the happiest moments of life. And Otohime's entire long, long life was filled with that, obsessed with that.

Haru advanced on the sobbing woman, kneeled down, placed a hand on her shoulder. Otohime looked up at her. Haru looked into the golden orbs, searching for the strength of a woman who was a leader of gangsters, a de facto shadow ruler of a modern town, and the woman who taught her about fermented fish. It was in there, she just had to remind the shadow Otohime of its existence.

"Do you have the strength to make them proud?"

Otohime's eyes went wide, her iris's flicking back and forth under Haru's gaze. Then they narrowed to a look of fierce determination. Otohime's hands clenched tighter on the swords. "Yes," she said, voice thick with conviction.

Haru stepped back as Otohime stood, her long blue robes beginning to glow and ruffle in an unseen wind. "I understand what I must do. My remaining years will be devoted to my own redemption." She raised her hand and indicated the shack which contained their passage back to the physical world. "Hurry and begone. This place will soon cease to be."

The Phantom Thieves watched her continue to glow brighter for a few moments of stunned silence, then one by one, turned and ran for the shack. Haru was the last to go, and Otohime locked her with a determined gaze. Then it softened, "Go, sweet thing. I'll make them proud. Go. Go on."

And Haru went.

* * *

"Ren! Yusuke! They're coming back!"

Ren hurried for the kitchen.

"Ugh! What a trip!" came Ryuji's voice as Ren opened the kitchen door. "Whoa! Who's this buff dude?"

"Mmmmph!"

"Just ignore him for now," said Makoto. "He's one of Otohime's goons."

Ryuji was rubbing his forehead, his eyes were underlined with dark rings. Ren knew that look- it was Metaverse fatigue. Ann was next to take her hand away from Otohime's body. She stepped back and put a hand to her forehead, staggering slightly. Yusuke jumped forward and steadied her.

"Did you get it?"

"Sorta," said Ryuji. Then he grinned and flashed a victory sign. "Mission success for sure."

"We couldn't steal it," said Ann, "We had to convince her to change- like with Mishima."

Ren didn't know what to make of that. But his mind turned to Otohime. How were they going to handle her return to consciousness? They didn't really know what was going to happen. They'd never been near one of their targets at the exact moment of heart change before. Ren resigned to the necessity of just waiting to see what happened.

Morgana was next to remove himself, walking away from Otohime's leg and then crouching into a deep cat stretch. Then Futaba suddenly snatched her arm away and teetered over. Makoto steadied her. Only Haru was left, and after a short wait, she too lifted her hand, and both herself and Otohime unfroze and palms went to respective foreheads. Ryuji reached to steady Haru with a hand on her lower back.

"What in the world?" mumbled Otohime. "Benkei? What-?" Otohime turned and her eyes opened wide as she saw them all. "Mr. Mackerel? Sweet thing?.. The blond carp? I just saw you all- in the weirdest dream. Or was it? What-" Otohime staggered suddenly and clutched her chest. She gasped, eyes bulging.

Fear shot through Ren like electricity. "What did you all do?! Did you kill her shadow?!"

"No!" shouted Haru, panic twinging her voice. "No! She was fine. We changed her! I know it. Please, not this again!"

Makoto stepped towards the old woman. Her face was sharp with focus as she gently lowered the gasping woman to the floor of the kitchen. She felt Otohime's forehead. "She's sweating. Obviously has pain in her chest, shortness of breath. I think she's having a heart attack."

"But we didn't kill her shadow!" cried Haru again.

"It wasn't you then," said Yusuke, "She's old. It must just be a normal heart attack."

"A change of heart is stressful," said Makoto. "It's okay, Haru… we can handle this. Ann. Morgana. Let's all heal her, okay? We can stop it. I'm sure of it."

Ann and Morgana joined Makoto. All three of the team's healers focusing intently on Otohime's gasping body.

"Imagine a healthy pumping heart," Makoto told them. "Imagine blood flowing smoothly through clean arteries. Envision blood flowing red and bright through a web of veins, like water into a dry paper towel."

"Hecate..."

"Anat…"

"Mercurius…"

"Diarahan!' They said together. Green energy flowed from them all and swirled around Otohime's body- her bulging eyes following its progress with a mixture of fear and wonder. Her breathing slowed. Her body relaxed. Otohime took a deep, calm breath. Ren thought he even saw some of her wrinkles fade away, but perhaps that was just a trick of the light.

They all gazed upon Otohime as she blinked and breathed easily. "So," the old woman finally said, "It wasn't a dream. You're them, aren't you? The rumored Phantom Thieves. The legends of tabloids, right here in my kitchen." Otohime's smile faded. "Well, don't just stand there like morons! Help an old woman off the cold floor!"

Everyone startled at the tone of her voice. Makoto and Ann helped Otohime to her feet. "Get me to a chair. I feel amazing, but my head is a bit foggy." They led her out of the kitchen and into the restaurant.

"Mmmph!" said Benkei. Everyone ignored him.

Otohime sank into a chair with a sigh. Her eyes flicking back and forth over them. They finally settled on Ren. "Mr. Mackerel. I feel less surprised than I should, I think. But you all did that thing to me? Whatever it is that made that fool Kaneshiro Junya turn himself into the police? I should thank you. With him out of Shibuya, I was finally able to get some territory there myself. That fat lard and his sex slaves... You should have done the world a real favor and killed him. I'd wanted to do it myself for years, but I couldn't get anyone into his operation."

"You knew him?" asked Makoto.

"Ms. Connoisseur…" Otohime's eyes traveled up and down Makoto and then flicked to Ren, then back to Makoto. "Yes, I knew him. We bosses all know each other to some degree. He knew not to mess with girls from my towns, that's for damn sure."

Ren didn't know what to make of Otohime now. She was sitting in this chair, chatting about internal yakuza affairs as if they were having a social tea. Her heart was changed, or at least it seemed to be, otherwise, she wouldn't be so open. She was looking at them like allies, not foes who just convinced her to turn herself into the police.

"Ms. Otohime," said Ren, "What are you feeling? What are your plans now?"

Otohime laughed. "You mean am I going to turn myself into the police and confess all my crimes? Am I going to accept my punishment as atonement? Is that what you mean, Mr. Mackerel?"

"Yes."

"No," said Otohime flatly. "Don't be absurd."

What kind of change of heart was this? Ren looked at his friends, but stupefied looks were on everyone's faces. Otohime frowned at them.

"Look, children. You may all have the taste of immortality still on your young tongues, but I certainly do not. I almost died a few minutes ago, and the time when I finally do go is near at hand, I'm sure. How much atonement can I accomplish by waiting a couple of years to die in a prison cell?"

Otohime's eyes shifted from Ren to Haru.

"I will make them proud."

She looked at Ren again. "I control an entire family of soldiers. I have enough information in my head to eliminate hundreds of unsavory characters in this country. Most of them, my old business partners. But our business being what it is- there are countless innocent Japanese falling victim to all sorts of things every day. I intend to tear as much of it down as I can before I die."

She put on a sober look. "I've done terrible things. Awful things. I'm going to have to work hard to balance my karma before the end."

Eyes of the group traveled to Ren- seeking some sort of response. Ren was at as much of a loss. This was unprecedented, but.. what could they do? They were Phantom Thieves of Hearts. Ryuji and Haru were confident they'd succeeded. How to check? Maybe…

Ren held out his hand. "Will you please touch my hand, Ms. Otohime?"

"What? Why?

"Please."

Ms. Otohime sighed and reached for Ren's hand. He focused his mind on the feeling of entering the Metaverse. Her hand touched him. Nothing happened.

Ren withdrew his hand. All eyes were on him. He shook his head. She didn't have a Palace anymore. It was gone, and only a change of heart or death could destroy a Palace.

"What was that about, Mr. Mackerel?"

"Nothing, Ms. Otohime. We need to go. Is there anything we can do for you?"

Otohime's face tightened in thought. "Yes. There are two things I want you to bring me from the kitchen. There is a small box in the cupboard above the sink- it is red with gold tracing. And there is a black plastic container in the back of the cooler. Bring both of those things out here."

"I'll go," said Yusuke.

"Me too," said Ryuji.

They left to fetch the items.

"I think you should turn yourself in," said Makoto.

Otohime smirked at her but said nothing. She turned to Ren. "So that is Benkei tied up in the kitchen?"

"Yes."

"Good. Leave him that way for now. I'm not sure what to do about him."

"What do you mean?"

"Let's just say I have soldiers loyal to me... And I have soldiers loyal to money. I fear he is in the latter category. My new… business plan will cause a certain stir amongst the ranks. I'll need to approach this carefully or I'll be dead a lot sooner than I'd like- and you all will have to start over with a new boss of this family."

"Are you going to kill the man?" asked Makoto.

"Me? No. He's safe unless he attacks me. But he does have lots of enemies, and I know lots of phone numbers…"

No one knew what to say to that. They stood in silence for a time until Yusuke and Ryuji returned. They carried the black container between them. It was quite large and seemed very heavy. The small red box rested atop it. Otohime took the red box and opened it. A pistol and an old clamshell cell phone were inside. She closed the box again and set it in her lap with a sigh of relief.

"I need you all to take this black case out of here."

"What's in it?" asked Ryuji.

"Money. Around three billion yen in 10k notes."

Gasps filled the room.

Otohime continued: "The final shipment of my drug enterprise. Mm.. that reminds me... I'll need to deal with those smugglers…"

"You want us to take all this money from you?" said Ann, her voice incredulous.

"I can't have it here," said Otohime, "It's like honey and I'm about to stir up a mess of my own insects. In my experience, large sums of money has a negative influence on loyalty. If it's within reach, I'll be murdered for it." She frowned at Ann. "I'll want it back."

"Ri- right…" said Ann.

Ren understood her confusion. This wasn't exactly how he expected this change of heart to occur. Otohime was… a different breed. But, they'd already done what they could do.

Otohime looked out the window of her restaurant. "Night is falling, children. Head on up to Ito's zit now. I think I'll close shop and get to work." She rubbed her forehead, "At least as much as I can. I'm tired."

"Wait," said Makoto, "What was the money for? What did you do with it?"

"Nothing. My part was just to get the drugs and turn them into money. I was supposed to send the money to Mr. Ito to launder."

"So you were in business with him," said Ann.

Otohime nodded. "Was. He turned on our mutual benefactor."

"Who was he laundering it for?"

"For the same man who organized the drugs to be smuggled to my fishing boats," said Otohime, "My supposed back-pocket Prime Minister: Masayoshi Shido."


	14. Chapter 14

Otohime's eyes traveled the room, amusement etched into her face. "You all also have a history with the man, I know. The confession that didn't quite take."

No one responded. Ren felt the memory of stress from those long months- him imprisoned, and their enemy hovering over the city in a quasi-state of maintained power. Shido was eventually dragged down by hearings and charges- but the legal battle stretched on and on. Hopefully, not for much longer.

Otohime continued: "A man with that much slime around him is hard to grasp, even if some fantastic group like you all do... whatever you did to him and myself. I should warn you- Shido's partisans are still active. I received word from them as recently as yesterday afternoon." Otohime pointed at the black case. "They want their money, though I am no longer interested in providing it."

Ren's suspicions rose up immediately. "Who is leading Shido's faction?"

"I was advised it was Shido himself. And this just hours after the news that the Diet was finally assembling the guillotine. I was assured that Shido's continued madness, so often reported by the news, is apparently just some ploy for court. I doubt that now."

Ren doubted that, too. Shido wasn't acting. His heart was changed. The man no longer possessed the will to continue his prior plans. If Otohime was still being contacted as recently as yesterday, someone else was clearly pulling the strings. Someone high up in Shido's organization. Someone smart. Very smart. Ren felt that weight on his shoulders again. He was pretty sure who that person might be.

Ren instinctively looked at Makoto, she was already looking at him, crimson eyes calculating. She saw it, too. Otohime wasn't the end of the mission, only a key step. They'd stumbled upon another tendril of Shido's funding network. Fate still weaved, indeed.

"Now take my box and go," said Otohime. "I might expect some more of my people to arrive this evening. I don't want you here."

All eyes turned to Ren. He nodded. "Let's go back."

Ren asked for and received Otohime's cell phone number. He wanted to keep tabs on her if he could. Yusuke and Ryuji hefted the money case and led the way out the kitchen door. Morgana running ahead to make sure the parking lot and path to their van was clear. Everyone else followed close behind. Or, almost everyone.

"Mr. Mackerel!" said Otohime, some slight concern in her voice.

Ren turned. Makoto was still standing over the old women. Fists clenched. Staring at her intently. Otohime was returning her stare with equal intensity.

"I believe this young woman is important to you?" said Otohime, eyes still on Makoto. She looked like someone watching a bear that was far too close for comfort. "Don't forget her, now."

What was Makoto doing? She looked like she was staring at a shadow- at something she was about to attack. "Queen," he said. Makoto didn't respond. He switched to Joker's voice. "Queen!"

Makoto's head snapped to him, her jaw set, teeth bared. Her eyes were intense, angry, calculating- and for a brief instant, a flash of gold passed through them. Ren felt goosebumps shoot up from the back of his thighs to the back of his neck, but he forced himself to maintain his own firm gaze. "We're going. You're driving."

Makoto looked at him for a long moment, then she shared one last look with Otohime, and then finally turned to follow them all out of the restaurant. Ren waited for her to pass him and followed her out, his left hand shaking ever so slightly. What the hell was that? He glanced back at Otohime. The old woman was checking the chamber of her pistol. Ren exited the restaurant behind his friends.

The supposedly victorious Phantom Thieves walked through the light of a setting sun. The van wasn't parked too far away, but they were a bit stretched out along the seaside strip. Thankfully there were no signs of any more of Otohime's goons, and the money box looked enough like a cooler to not seem too weird. Ren hurried to catch up to Makoto who was walking at the rear by herself.

"What was that about?" said Ren.

"We're letting her go. We're letting a criminal escape our justice."

"She didn't escape. Her Palace is gone. We won."

Makoto's jaw clenched with more ferocity. "She's not confessing. The Palace didn't work. We need to do more."

"Like what?"

Makoto whirled on him, shoulders forward, hackles up. "I don't know, Ren!" She shouted.

The rest of the Phantom Thieves turned around to look at them, eyes wide. Makoto gritted her teeth and blushed simultaneously. "Just leave me alone." She turned from him and strode purposefully towards the van.

Ren watched her go. He'd never seen her like this before- his mind searched for a solution but it came back blank. He didn't know quite what to do. The rest of their friends pointedly avoided looking at Makoto as she passed them, they glanced briefly back at Ren, then turned back around and followed her to the van in silence.

The silence followed them all into the vehicle and persisted as Makoto started the engine and began their drive back up to the resort. No one talked. Mostly because the infiltration team was exhausted, but part of it was the tangible tension between Makoto and Ren in the front seat- hanging in the air like smoke. Ren watched Makoto's face as subtly as he could, but she was maintaining a tense look of concentration. If she felt his gaze, she was ignoring it.

Well, it was a long, long day. It started with an investigation, and ended with the culmination of a Palace. All in a single day. The most productive single day they'd ever attempted. And at the end, an unprecedented and somewhat disturbing result in a defiant Otohime. Ren felt like she was an ally, now. He got the same feeling from her as with the other confidants he'd gained over the last year. But he supposed it wasn't a sure thing... Otohime was not some random person he'd helped- she was literally a criminal mastermind.

Speaking of criminal masterminds. Ren turned to look into the back seat. A groggy Futaba was staring out the van window.

"Futaba."

"Huh?"

"The Akechi thing. How far are you?"

"Hang on… I can check the progress on my phone." She tapped at her device a few times. "83%. It should be done tomorrow morning.

"Thanks." Ren turned back to face the road ahead and sighed, a dread weight settling on his shoulders. Tomorrow morning, huh. The last morning of their free stay at the resort. The morning after they unveiled another portion of Shido's network. And the day Niijima Sae advised Makoto she was surely to begin her final legal assault. It was too perfect. It was too coincidental. Fate still weaves. Fate still weaves. Ren felt an impending doom above them all, teetering over a point of no return- like a chunk of glacier just about to fall into the ocean. He looked at Makoto again. Did she feel it, too? Was that a part of this?

Ren slouched into his seat and closed his eyes. There was still Mr. Ito to consider, as well. But after today, he didn't think they were up for another campaign so soon. Mr. Ito might just need to be left alone. He didn't seem dangerous, anyway- white collar crime at worst. And there was no point in worrying any of the team about Ito or about his tingling danger sense. It would disturb their rest, and Ren decided he wanted them all fresh and clear minded for whatever was in store for them tomorrow. Just a long drive on their continued road trip, he hoped, not anything else. Nothing bad, despite his tingling senses. He wanted to be wrong this time. Just this once, being wrong would be wonderful.

Ren looked at Makoto again. But regardless- he needed to figure her out. Tonight.

He grimaced as the memory of that flash of gold in her eyes replayed in his head.

* * *

The van parked in the usual spot in the rear of the pizza restaurant parking lot. Habit perhaps influencing Makoto's choice while her mind was troubled by whatever it was currently churning. No one was brave enough to complain about a slightly longer walk to the main resort.

Ren got out of the vehicle and assessed their dangerously valuable cargo. The plastic crate was both nondescript and kind of odd looking. It was just a case. But if you looked at it closely, it looked pretty unusual. After a half-hearted discussion, Ren and Haru decided to cover it with some of their extra clothing and leave it in the van. Keeping it in the back seemed a better choice than lugging it into the resort. Presumably, Mr. Ito would recognize it, and there were security cameras in the resort.

When they finished, half of the party was already gone. Makoto, too. Fatigue and stress fractured the group tonight, and everyone instinctively moved off to begin the recharging process best for themselves. Ren's mind was so full of Makoto, he wasn't even able to keep track of who went where. But he knew Makoto would first need space, so he remained behind in the parking lot, and wandered to a spot which afforded him a view of the sea and town below.

He didn't see the vista before him- his mind was turned inward to the conversation with Otohime, and to Makoto's surprisingly strong reactions. He'd never seen her so aggressively menacing, though the others said she'd been particularly fierce during the campaign to free him from juvenile detention. Perhaps he was now seeing that Makoto first hand. Fierce was certainly an accurate word to describe her tonight.

Otohime's reaction to her own change of heart surprised them all. Instead of turning herself in to face legal punishment, she apparently intended to focus her resources on a sort of vigilante justice. Ren didn't like to think about it, but he supposed that's what the Phantom Thieves did already. So instead of a defeated enemy, they'd flipped the mafia boss to their worldview. If Otohime was to be believed, she was now an ally to justice and the innocent- if an unsavory ally, to put it mildly. But why not believe her? He'd confirmed her Palace was destroyed, and thus her distortion was gone, so all that was left was Otohime Boton in her pure form.

Something about that was enraging Makoto. Her by-the-book attitude towards life and justice was probably the major factor, though Ren was still somewhat shaky on how exactly she reconciled those instincts with her own vigilantism as a Phantom Thief. Regardless, Makoto was not pleased to see another self-righteous force appear in the form of Otohime, an admitted murderess and yakuza leader, who didn't seem particularly unwilling to use violence to accomplish her new life goals. An ends-justify-the-means outlook on life was not a Makoto-ish philosophy, and Otohime's continued defiance embodied that outlook.

Yet back in the restaurant, Makoto seemed almost ready to attack Otohime then and there. And Otohime was an old woman… and Ren had personally witnessed Makoto punch a literal god and see it crack from the blow. Any physical attack from Makoto would have killed Otohime, and for such a physically frail individual, there didn't seem any other reasonable goal, other than death, that Makoto would have for attacking her. So could Makoto have actually been thinking about killing the old woman in cold blood? Ren remembered Otohime's face as she had looked up at Makoto. Surely, Otohime had looked many dangerous things in the eye in her long life of crime and violence, but she'd seemed to see something in Makoto that had deeply concerned her.

If Ren thought any of the Phantom Thieves were capable of going off the deep end of capital justice, he would have pegged Yusuke foremost. The man's mind was a mystery, and it was clear his thoughts ran deep and idealistically. And maybe Haru. She had an iron to her that most people lacked, though it was well hidden. As for the others, Ryuji talked aggressively, but his heart held some innocence that Ren thought it would never fully lose- which was a very good thing, in Ren's opinion. Ann was simply too kind. Futaba too passive. Morgana too pre-programmed against such behavior. And until now, Makoto was too by the book. But Ren could not deny what he saw in Makoto tonight. That gold flash, like his fever dream from the afternoon they first arrived. It was a glimpse of a shadow Makoto that he'd thought was just paranoia. No longer.

Makoto looked sure of herself in that restaurant, looming over the old gangster. Confident. Intense. So it wasn't an emotional Makoto he'd seen staring at Otohime. The only time he'd ever witnessed a fully emotionally confident Makoto was when they were alone together. If Makoto was publically confident, as she almost always was- it had a logical basis to it. So what kind of logical pathway had Makoto churned herself down to begin seriously considering killing Otohime tonight?

Ren swept his mind back through time, trying to think of everything and nothing at once, hoping his brain would pick something out for him as it so often did. To his disgust, the devious grin of Kamoshida appeared in his mind's eye. That bastard again. He was so entwined with the history of anyone at Shujin Academy. But what about him related to Makoto? The third years had seemed mostly isolated from him, especially since both Makoto and Haru were not athletic club members.

Then Ren remembered Ann and Makoto arguing intensely with each other, each blaming the other for failing to stop Kamoshida earlier. That was back before Makoto's persona awakened and before she joined their team. She'd been a foe at the time, hounding their heels and threatening to report them. Ren could see their faces during the confrontations, both Ann and Makoto as angry as he'd ever seen them. Then Makoto slinking away, defeated and unsure of herself in the face of Ann's fierce emotional attack.

They'd accused each other of being culpable to Kamoshida's crimes because they'd not moved to stop them. It was a logical accusation. Flawed logic, but logical in foundation, anyway. The girls eventually forgave themselves and each other, recognizing it was an unrealistic expectation of them both. But that culpability of inaction. That might very well be the seed of Makoto's current anger.

If Makoto believed that Otohime was planning to break the law and continue a lifestyle of violence, then regardless of Otohime's motives, Makoto would regard herself as culpable for those crimes because she didn't stop Otohime when she had the chance. Otohime's crimes would become her own, just like she used to think Kamoshida's were somehow her fault as well. It was an old ghost, but Kamoshida haunted them all, still. Ren was sick of thinking about the man. But he was their first villain, and people tended to remember their firsts of everything.

Ren rubbed his bangs between his fingers. There was a mild feeling of satisfaction in his mind now- he felt like he'd clawed his way to some truth about Makoto's current dilemma. Now he might have a chance to help her. Ren turned and made his way into the resort.

He reached the room he shared with Makoto, but it was empty. Makoto's clothing was in a pile on the floor, an uncharacteristically untidy action on her part. She'd changed and gone somewhere. But where? He exited the room and ran into Ann who seemed to be on her way to the onsen.

"She was wearing her athletic pants," Ann told him, "Maybe she went to exercise? There is a gym below us."

Ren thanked Ann for the information, entered the room again and quickly changed into his own workout gear, then took the elevator down to the gym's floor. The elevator opened onto a half-basketball court of hardwood flooring. Everything shined with the feeling of new. The hoop was up at the moment, locked away near the ceiling, hovering over an empty room. The far side of the gym featured large windows overlooking the sea, just as all seaside walls seemed to in this place. Ren assumed they would have to be special windows to be safe in a gym with people potentially taking flying leaps into them.

To the left was a weight room. Makoto was not there either. The only place left to check was a hallway to his right. There were doors off to each side with narrow windows in them. The left side contained racquetball courts with stunning windowed walls facing the sea. The right side faced the mountain and appeared to contain general athletic rooms, a padded floor and padded walls- like mini karate dojos. Ren noted each one had a security camera in the far corner- he supposed that was necessary for such private, isolated rooms. It would encourage respect for the facility.

Makoto was in the last of these, practicing forms and fight sequences. She was an Aikido hobbyist before she joined the Phantom Thieves, but in the year after, she focused on her martial training in the same way as her school work. Ren recalled she recently earned her black belt, the first advancement in Dan rank, and was studying for the gold stripe. How did the woman have free time?

With some trepidation now on his mind, Ren put his hand on the dojo door. She was in her Shujin athletic pants and white shirt, which brought Ren's memory back to the early days of the Phantom Thieves- he supposed Waseda didn't have uniforms like a high school. He opened the door. Makoto froze and looked at him, then stood normally to face him; a challenging, expectant look on her face- crimson eyes both tense and wary.

* * *

Ann realized her phone was beeping from the notification of multiple texts. She opened up a new group chat in progress- it appeared everyone was in it, except Ren and Makoto.

==O: so i'm hacked into the resort security network.

==O: ren + makoto R N the gym. Looks like they are getting rdy to spar.

==O: if ya wanna watch, come to my room.

==S: for real? Omw

==N: is it ok?

==S: its a public gym!

==F: true, there is no expectation of privacy.

Ann's mind filled with curiosity. A couple, sparring physically, at odds mentally- she guiltily did want to watch.

==P: omw 2. Is there sound?

==O: :D

* * *

"I'm training," said Makoto. "Do you need something?"

Ren set his phone and wallet to the side of the room. He then hopped a few times and stretched his arms. Then, in Joker's voice: "A study partner."

Makoto's crimson eyes narrowed. Then she smiled a little wickedly. And Queen said: "Spar with me then."

Ren walked to stand before her, slightly slouched, hands in his pockets. He was a self-taught fighter, earning his victories through real-life struggles in the Metaverse. So was Makoto, but Ren lacked the martial polish that Makoto's formal training granted her. Maybe he could surprise her with unorthodoxy.

They stared at each other for a long moment.

"We can do nothing else with Otohime," said Joker.

Makoto's smile tightened. She understood his challenge. "We are obligated to stop her."

She stepped in towards him and readied a kick. Ren's arm responded to trap the leg, and she pulled it. Dancing back as Ren tried to take advantage. He couldn't catch her. They reset.

"We changed her heart," he said. "That's all we can do. All we are supposed to do."

"She told us to our faces that she will probably need to kill people who disobey. She intends to continue with murder. That's why we decided to stop her in the first place."

Makoto moved in again, and again set up a kick. Ren set to trap it. She pulled it again. Ren stepped forward- and Makoto's foot shot out faster than Ren could react and the top of her bare foot bashed lightly against the side of his head. She bared her teeth at him, then smiled, dropping her leg.

Point to her.

"If she has to kill," Ren reasoned as he backed away from her to reset. "Which we can't be sure of because it hasn't happened... It will be because she is defending herself from mutiny. It will be self-defense against gangsters who want to kill her and take over, undoing our efforts."

"You're speculating."

"So are you." Ren took off his shirt, making sure to flex his abdomen as he did so. He knew Makoto would find this distracting. He needed all the advantage he could get- and if Makoto seeing his bare chest did the trick, Joker wasn't above using it.

After a pause, Makoto said: "It's still killing someone."

"It's justice unrelated to us."

"Justice? Isn't this what you were afraid of two nights ago?" said Makoto, "That we would ignore laws and become corrupted. Why have you completely reversed your position? You're on her side. You've basically started to condone us killing people."

"I haven't. That's not what is happening here. Otohime choosing to commit crimes is not the same as us committing them."

"Not stopping her makes us culpable."

There it was. He was right.

Makoto stepped forward, her fists shooting in, one after the other. Ren batted them aside, spending their momentum before they grazed his torso. Next was the knee. Ren was expecting it. He stepped forward into the blow and used his hip and greater mass to shove Makoto hard when her attacking leg was still up. Her body was pushed back and she began falling, her attack's momentum turning her to face the ground, but she aggressively twisted her leg to ensure she landed on her back- she knew to land face down was death. That was her first lesson in Kaneshiro's den.

Ren followed her to the mat, pushing the advantage, landing astride her torso, one fist locking one of Makoto's wrists to the ground, his other cocked for the finishing blow, he fired it. But one of Makoto's legs curled over his left ankle- her free arm met Ren's descending blow, redirected the momentum down and to the left as her hip jerked from the right side. Ren's attacking shoulder sank- his pinned left leg shouldn't brace him, he felt his balance collapse leftward and knew immediately he was doomed. Makoto clung to him, using the fall's momentum to roll atop him now, her elbow streaking for his nose, but stopping just as it touched the tip. Makoto smirked and stood. Her point again.

He'd tried to be clever and Makoto made him pay for it. In retrospect, Ren realized trying to outwit her with technique was a flawed idea- outwit Makoto? Low chance of success. If he didn't want this sparring session to be a total rout, he needed to start using his genetic advantages against her- height, mass, strength, and reach.

"We're not culpable," Ren said as he stood, "I mean, if we were standing right in front of her as she held a gun to someone's head and did nothing, then I would agree with you. But we are not going to be right next to Otohime. She is making her own choices outside of our reach. We can't follow her around."

"She was in our reach, though. We let her loose! It's like someone who doesn't use a parking brake when they park on a hill- anything their runaway car damages is their responsibility!"

"That's a ridiculous analogy and you know it. Otohime is a human being with free will, not an inanimate object that we own. And forget Otohime for a moment and consider any other person in existence- if we are near them, and learn they might do something bad in the future, what are we supposed to do about it? Kill them? Imprison them? Report them to the police for- what? Maybe one day committing a crime in the future? You are feeling obligated to utilize our power over another human being simply because you possess power. You think that gives you the self-righteous responsibility to solve the potential criminal in some way to prevent the future crime. That is the kind of corruption I'm afraid of. The kind that we don't recognize as corruption. its disguised as responsibility. It's tyranny wearing the clothing of wisdom."

Makoto's eyes flashed downward- her forehead furrowed in thought. She was churning at that one, analyzing it, seeking a rebuttal. A clear point to Ren in the debate, and it was also an opening in the fight.

Ren stepped forward with an exploratory jab. Makoto stepped aside and finally committed to a kick towards the back of his leg. It was what he wanted. He sank slightly, so she struck the meaty part of his thigh, not the joint, and he snagged Makoto's calf before she could withdraw the leg. She was now bouncing perilously on one foot. He held the attacking leg and immediately began walking forward, pushing her back, not giving her time to plan a fancy aerobatic kick with her other leg- she was desperately trying to not fall down with one of her legs in Ren's control.

Ren pushed her back into the matted wall of the gym, and his near arm reached out, hand closing on her throat when the impact with the wall pushed her arms away slightly. He leaned into the wall, making sure Makoto could feel the pressure and realize he would be choking her if this wasn't sparring.

She punched his arm, but without leverage to strengthen the strikes, her fists could not hit hard enough to disengage the grip. Ren simply accepted the pain and held on. In final desperation, Makoto jumped and lifted her free leg and wrapped it about his choking arm, the weight of her now unsuspended body pulling Ren over, but he simply stayed atop their center of mass, gratefully accepting gravity as a new ally in his chokehold. He pulled his head back to avoid the sweep of her foot which wanted badly to bash his face. Then her back met the mat of the floor. She tapped out. He let go, satisfied this was no longer a one-sided contest.

Makoto shot back to her feet, ready again. "Otohime isn't a potential criminal! We know she's a yakuza boss with a long history of terrible crimes!"

"Of which we don't have any evidence! We're not the police! We did what we do to criminals when the infiltration team changed her heart. Otohime is devoted to atonement, just like everyone else we targeted. That's what we do. And if Otohime chooses a different path of atonement than turning herself in, what can we do about it? Murder her? Halt our lives and stake-out her operation to pass evidence to the detectives? No! We're done, Makoto. Mission accomplished. Otohime's life remains her own."

One of Makoto's eyes closed, the other open in a concerned look. A chagrined Makoto now. Her jaw set, then relaxed as she considered that. Her head drooped a little and she closed both her eyes, a small smile in the corner of her mouth. "I concede the debate. You've convinced me." She then dropped her head in apparent shame.

That somewhat alarmed Ren. Makoto was intellectual enough to concede defeat in a logical argument, but feeling shame? Was he too harsh? Was his tone disrespectful? How had he wounded her? Ren moved forward to hug her to him. An apology on his lips- "Makoto, I-"

Makoto stepped into Ren's chest, her right leg advancing past in a kick, then he felt her backkick his right leg out from under him. Ren teetered off-balance, cursing silently at himself- what a fool to fall for such an obvious trap! Makoto shoved, slammed him into the mat, and straddled him- her buttocks crushing into his gut.

"Oooph!"

But the attack stopped there, Makoto rested her hands on Ren's bare chest. He saw her smiling down at him, mischievous pleasure dancing around her eyes. "But I win the fight."

"You were already winning."

"Oh really? I guess I forgot the score." She leaned in, and Ren welcomed this sort of attack. Their lips meeting in a sudden shared passion. Ren's arm went to Makoto's thigh and squeezed it through the harsh fabric of her athletic pants.

* * *

Ann was stunned for the first few seconds of what seemed likely a lengthy make-out session. Then she regained control of herself. "I think we've seen enough," She reached and closed Futaba's laptop.

"Hey!" said a chorus of voices. Everyone was shooting her frustrated looks. Morgana's tail flicking back and forth.

"Cut it out, you guys! It would be perverted if we watched more of that."

Everyone's gazes suddenly looked away, expressions of shame on all.

* * *

Makoto had held Ren to the ground with her kisses for a length of time that both surprised Ren, and awakened a roaring desire in him. Then she'd abruptly stood up, informed him she was going to go take her bath, and left him, still lying on the mat with bulging pants. She'd been out the door before he realized just how quickly she was moving.

Ren tucked his bulging organ into his waistband and performed some exercise in the gym, trying to deflate himself before he attempted walking to the onsen himself. Makoto was unpredictable tonight, but Ren was at least sure that the Otohime issue was settled in her mind. That's all he'd desired- at least until Makoto had pressed her lips so strongly to his, and continued to do so with such an intensity that Ren had become very aware that a heat was growing between Makoto's legs- he was sure he'd felt it through her pants on his bare stomach. Ren tried to cast it from his mind, as another erection threatened him in the elevator just from thinking about it.

There were some other guests in the men's onsen tonight, and Ren struggled to keep his mind firmly off Makoto. He thought about his job at the airsoft store. Iwai instructing him on the proper care of a weapon- advocating maintenance even for the toys he sold. He focused his mind on the process of cleaning his pistol. Then in a sudden betrayal, his mind remembered Makoto cleaning her own model revolver- her hands stroking polish onto the gun's barrel. Ren felt his groin respond. Damnit! This was getting ridiculous! He headed for the showers and jerked the dial towards the blue color.

Still shivering slightly from the cold shower, Ren made his way back to the room. He didn't run into any of his friends- figuring most were already asleep. The floor under the door was dark, so Ren assumed Makoto was trying to sleep as well. He opened the door softly to a dark wall and entered. He shut it behind him softly and realized the room wasn't totally dark. The light on the bed's headboard was on and Makoto was laying on her stomach in the middle of their bed, perched on her forearms, intently reading a college textbook.

She was wearing a skin-tight white shirt which hinted at the outline of her breasts between her arms. It also revealed a tantalizing portion of her smooth lower back. More interestingly, she wasn't wearing pants, so the corners of her luscious buttocks peeked out from a pair of white panties, leading into her stunning bare legs, one of which was idly bent into the air at the knee. And almost as an afterthought, she wore white ankle socks.

Ren froze and stared at Makoto's mostly prone form, taking in the sexiest vision he'd ever seen in his young life. She pointedly didn't acknowledge his arrival and continued her reading. Ren's brain attempted to restart itself multiple times, but it didn't quite turn over. Meanwhile, his groin was humming to life. Was this study time- or sexy time? The book was a clear "don't-bother-me" signal, but the panties? The shirt? The socks? It was an obviously calculated outfit on Makoto's part. She didn't idly expose herself like that on a regular basis. Ren felt like a hungry lion staring at a baited trap. He knew it was a trap, but he also knew there was no saving himself from this- he needed to eat and so was doomed to walk right into it.

He tossed his old clothing onto the room's chair and approached the bed.

_The screen goes dark._

**Time passes...**

* * *

"Ah, the clock strikes midnight, and with my very words, we enter a new day," said Chihaya Mifune, waving her hands tantalizingly over her deck of tarot cards. The deep purple cloth of her card table glowed vibrantly in Shinjuku's neon nightscape, adding a tantalizing background to her new blacklight enhanced tarot deck. "A new fate arrives! Let us see your destiny in this new turning of the wheel!"

The woman bent forward eagerly as Chihaya shuffled the cards. This was one of the fortune teller's regulars: a nurse on lunch break from her graveyard shift. The older woman loved the drama that midnight brought to a tarot reading, and Chihaya loved the regular income. This customer was easy: she always dreamed of romance- and though whitebread herself- she fantasized about dangerous men.

Chihaya dramatically drew the first card and put it on one side of the table. A picture of a dancing jester.

"Ah! The Fool! A trickster of many talents. A man who doesn't cater to the expectations of society, but instead lives free. Lives with laughter. Though, perhaps not with a lot of money."

The nurse giggled. "Money isn't everything."

Chihaya smiled and drew the next card and put it to the other side of the table. It was a balance scale.

"Justice! This means the man may be about to meet an authority figure, or perhaps experience some great trial. A trial of danger perhaps? Or perhaps- of romance?" She looked at the woman slyly.

The nurse giggled again.

"It could also mean someone at odds with the law. A ruffian. A Fool can indicate such a man, though usually they are kind-hearted at the core."

"The golden-souled scoundrel!"

Chihaya nodded and smiled warmly. "Yes! Perhaps!" This was so much more fun when the customers helped her create the fantasy for them.

She placed her hand on the top of the tarot deck. "Now! The final card! The third card is not a person, but a fate! A destined end to the situation posed by the first two cards. Are you ready?"

The nurse nodded eagerly.

Chihaya drew the car and laid it down with a flourish.

Death.

A piercing ringing filled Chihaya's ears. She flinched against it. A flash of intense white light. Blood. Rain. A gleaming landscape.

"...-okay, Ms. Mifune?"

Chihaya blinked. Shinjuku's lights blazed in the night once more. The ringing faded away.

"Ms. Mifune?"

She looked up at her customer. The nurse was regarding her with concern.

"Huh? What? Sorry!"

"Are you okay? You looked like you were in pain."

Chihaya put both hands to her face and rubbed. "Yes. Yes, I'm fine. Sorry. It must have just been something I ate earlier." She looked down at the card she had placed on the table. A glowing skull grinned at her.

"What does that card mean?"

Chihaya frowned. She'd had a vision. A real vision. But this woman's soul was a restful one. It was not tied to very many others. "It could mean several things. Most think it means death in the basic sense, which it can. But it can also mean change. Or a cycle of events…." Her voice trailed off. This was not this woman's fate. This was someone else's fate. Grey eyes. Piercing eyes.

"What does it mean for my scoundrel?'

"I don't know," Chihaya said before she could catch herself.

"What?"

"I mean- I don't know why this card came up. This isn't your fate."

"It's not?"

"No. No. Sorry. Let me try again."

Chihaya picked up the three cards and shuffled the deck again. She drew the first card.

"Ah, the Fool! So that one was truly meant to be!"

She drew the second card.

"And next- Justice…. Just like before..."

Chihaya's hand hesitated over the deck. She eyed her customer. The woman was looking a little scared. Maybe she shouldn't just throw this one out. She peeked at it. A glowing skull.

"I'm sorry! Actually, I'm not feeling very well. I can't go on with your reading, ma'am. No charge, of course."

"Are you sure you are okay? I am a nurse, you know."

"Yes! Yes, I know. I'm sure. Just a bad beef bowl, perhaps."

"If you say so."

The woman left begrudgingly. She probably wouldn't be back for a while.

Chihaya sighed. Then shuffled the cards again before drawing three.

Fool. Justice. Death.

She shuffled. Shuffled again. Cut the deck. Shuffled again.

Fool. Justice. Death.

* * *

Ren's eyes shot open. His breath gasped in shock. He breathed heavily, shaking off a feeling of dread. He could not recall its source. Makoto stirred in her sleep with his movements but did not wake. She was still atop him. Both of them still naked. The secretions from their earlier activity were dried to them both. That was strange. It was not something they had ever done before- falling asleep without tidying themselves. The realization made Ren feel even stranger.

His eyes looked to Makoto's face, her sharp features relaxed in sleep, pressed against his chest. Her hair tickled his chin as he looked down at her. Then his eyes were drawn beyond her to the window drape. He was filled with the desire to look outside. He gently cradled Makoto and maneuvered her off of him. She settled to the mattress, not waking, deeply asleep. He stood up from the bed.

Ren walked to the window and opened the drapes, revealing a dark world. It was long before dawn, but Ren could sense the newness of the day. The dread returned to him- the one he'd felt in the car, and with Makoto. And as it was brighter inside the room than outside, the light from the headboard cast his reflection upon the glass before him. His eyes shifted and his naked form stared at himself in the glass. And behind them both loomed a red-clad figure with black wings. Two eyes of flame glowed under a top hat.

"You feel it, too," he accused it.

*Yes.*

The voice rolled through Ren's mind, loud, deep, and inaudible. Ren looked over to the bed. Makoto slept peacefully. He looked back to the reflection.

*She sleeps. I took her to a safe place. A serene place. She will be well rested. They will all be well rested.*

"All of them?"

*Well- Goemon was stubborn, as usual. He wanted his to draw a while. The same old foolishness.*

"He knows better than we in such matters."

The winged figure cocked its head to the side. *If you say so.*

"I do."

… *Very well.*

They silently regarded one another.

"Are you ready?"

The figure's black face opened in a wide, burning smile.

*Of course.*


	15. Chapter 15

Meepmeep. Meepmeep.

Ichiko Ohya groaned in her sleep.

Meepmeep. Meepmeep.

Her eyes opened, her vision blurry. Her darkened room was a mass of greys. The hangover crashed into the front of her head and she winced, then buried her head into her pillow again, but it didn't help at all. This was a bad one. A bad one amongst bad ones. Why the fuck did she do this to herself?

Meepmeep. Meepmeep.

"Fuck… you…" she mumbled. She wasn't going to answer it. A phone call on her day off? Not on her life- such as it was. And her fucking head. God. Why did she go with gin last night? That was a mistake. Gin was always a fucking mistake.

Moooop.

Yeah, leave a voicemail whoever you are. Go to hell.

Da-Daaaa!

A text, too? Ohya raised her head, wincing, gazing at her phone glowing in the darkness. Maybe something was going on, after all. She reached for the noisy device. Opened it. Winced in pain as the bright white light of the screen flashed into her face. It was Itsuki, her junior reporter. He was still staking out the Shido residence, where the controversial and now famously corrupt politician remained secluded while his legal battle waged on.

==Itsuki: there are some cars here at the Shido place.

Cars. Fucking woop. Another cry about the proverbial fucking wolf. Ohya had responded to texts like this before. She might as well just throw her subway fare out the fucking window and save herself some goddamn time. Itsuki was useless. Ohya dropped the phone to her carpet, still open, and then she rolled over, her brain seeming to cartwheel painfully against the walls of her skull. Fuck you, gin. You got me again. You're such shit.

Meanwhile, on her discarded phone:

==Itsuki: maybe 10 cars in the driveway, and lots more on the street. Its like a motorcade. And a limo.

==Itsuki: lots of suited men. Sunglasses everywhere. Looks like a yakuza meet from a damn movie

==Itsuki: they are wheeling him out! They are taking him somewhere

==Itsuki: hello? Ms. Ichiko?

==Itsuki: I'm gonna call you again.

Meepmeep. Meepmeep.

Meepmeep. Meepmeep.

* * *

Ann woke to the brightening light of early morning. Yusuke was asleep in a chair in front of her, head slouched forward. He was where he'd been sitting the night before during their short voyeur party, though a sketch book seemed to have fallen from his grasp at some point in the night. Morgana was curled at the foot of the bed by her feet.

Ann raised herself up sleepily. Futaba was stretched out beside her, and on the other side of the bed was Ryuji and Haru. It seemed Haru rolled against Ryuji in her sleep and they looked adorable together, though it would be pretty funny when they woke up. Everyone but Ren and Makoto were here. They all must have suddenly crashed hard last night.

It was early and Ann didn't feel the need to disturb anyone. She carefully extracted herself from the bed and headed to the bathroom. When she returned, she picked up Yusuke's art book on a whim. She flicked it open to see what he'd been working on, and saw her own sleeping face drawn with gentle detail over a page. Ann froze, a mixture of wonder and indignation growing in her- but it was only a portrait. She turned the page. Her face again, but this time it was contained in the center of an intricate flowering tree. Another page. Her face again, but sleeping in a field of flowers. Another page. Her face again, but as an artistically-detailed sun, with little figures accepting her light.

She looked at Yusuke's calm sleeping face. Then back to the drawings. This was how he saw her? Ann flipped through more sketches, and it was just her face and hair- nothing of her body. That fact entirely killed her feeling of indignation, and gave more room for the wonder to grow. She turned back to the drawing of her face as the sun of radiating light.

If she were truly honest with herself, this image somewhat represented her professional goal as a model. To have the world see her as a light- of beauty, of grace, of confidence. And here was Yusuke, already seeing that as who she was, drawn in plain evidence in black and white. Ann felt a strange mixture of emotions. She closed the sketch book and returned it to where she found it. She settled back into bed next to Futaba. She watched Yusuke sleep, her mind suddenly full of what-ifs and maybes.

* * *

"Hello, sis. Good morning."

Makoto's voice dragged Ren out of his slumber. The room was bright with sunlight. He didn't remember getting back in bed. He'd been talking with Arsene last night. That was rare. But about what? He couldn't quite remember the words, just that the persona within him was feeling the same dread about the next day.

No. Not the next day. Today.

"I'm fine…. At the resort. We decided to stay another night… What?!"

Ren sat up and looked at Makoto. Her face was lined with concern, her crimson eyes distant as she listened to her sister on the phone.

He was impatient. Something was happening. "What is it?"

Makoto waved him off. "That was Ren," she said into the phone. She blushed suddenly. "That's none of your business!... sis…sis!... Sae!- Go back to what you were saying about Shido!"

Electricity ran through Ren's body. Shido! He stared at Makoto's phone, willing it to reveal its secrets to him.

"How long ago?...Okay...Okay...Okay, thanks. Good luck, sis." She set her phone down and looked at Ren. "Apparently, a large group of Shido's followers picked him up this morning and fled Tokyo. They think it was mostly the corrupt policeman and government agents Sae was about to file charges on today."

"How long ago?"

"She thinks about two hours ago. Maybe a bit more. The National Police are mobilizing to find them, setting up checkpoints, but they don't even know which direction they went. They made it out of town before traffic got heavy. Anyone following will have to fight through it."

Well, he'd been right. Something was happening today. But blessedly it was not the disaster he'd feared. If anything, this was great news. The main physical muscel of Shido's organization was gathered and on the move, and they'd left Tokyo this morning. If Akechi was alive, which Ren was sure he was, he was probably with them. A big move like this meant someone was taking decisive action, and Akechi seemed the most likely source.

Shido's faction could finally be crushed for good. Rather than dispersed and hidden amongst honest people in Tokyo, his armed partisans were clustered in a mobile group somewhere within a easily calculated drive radius around Tokyo. With Sae and the National Police mobilizing, it should be difficult for them to elude pursuit for long. It was certainly the final stage of the long hunt.

"We can help Sae find them," he said.

Makoto nodded. "Futaba's program.'

Ren took out his phone and started a group text.

==J: Futaba. Is it done?

He and Makoto waited tensely for her to respond. Was the girl awake?

==O: No. 98%. It must have chugged last night on something. Maybe 1 hour or so?

Ren sighed in frustration. But there was no helping it.

==J: Everyone, let's eat breakfast now. There is news.

Makoto got out of bed and headed for the shower first. Ren stared at the sun lit drapes of their room. Was this it? The dread he'd been feeling was just about an enemy on the move, doomed to be captured by the professionals who were supposed to do things like that? Ren hoped so. But part of him doubted. It was a Fool's hope.

* * *

The Phantom Thieves met in the restaurant of The Aviary Resort for breakfast for the final time. Ren and Makoto shared the news about Shido. There was general excitement as they all grabbed their plates. It was the weekend, so it was a breakfast buffet. Ren paused at the starch table and eyed the stack of pancakes, frowning. Akechi. Pancakes. Ren didn't take any. He wanted bacon, eggs, and hashbrowns- with hot sauce.

He set his plate down next to Makoto and set to work. Ryuji looked up from his own pile of eggs to check out what Ren was eating.

"Oh, man. Hot Sauce. Good Idea. Pass that over."

Ren's eyes traveled to Makoto's plate. She was eating eggs on toast while browsing the news on her phone. Looking for more news on Shido, probably. It was the headline story of the morning.

His eyes roved the table. Haru was daintily cracking into her third soft-boiled egg. Futaba put fried eggs between waffles with syrup. Ann was eating a breakfast burrito, eggs falling out with each bite. Morgana was curled in her purse, also getting morsels of egg and sausage. Yusuke was eating egg omelet rice. Everyone was devouring breakfasts uncharacteristically robust and eggy.

….So what?

He was being ridiculous. Eggs were ubiquitous at breakfast buffets. It meant nothing. Come to think of it- even if it meant something, what would it mean? That eggs were breakfast foods? Ren decided he was losing it. Looking for omens in everything around him. He needed to relax. Maybe drink a cup of juice instead of coffee.

* * *

About an hour later, they returned once more to Futaba's room and gathered around her laptop.

99%.

Ren sighed and paced the room. Shido's driving radius was another hour larger. His lead another hour longer. Makoto and Ryuji watched Ren pace back and forth. Ann lay on the carpet and put her legs up on the wall. Morgana sat on the window sill, looking out the window. "I see a limousine. Looks like a celebrity just got here," he said, but no one was interested. Yusuke sketched idily, Haru nearby, knees to chest, watching him. Futaba stared at the screen, mind probably drifting. Ren's tension was infectious. No one spoke. Everyone's mind was on the little progress bar of Futaba's computer.

Finally, Futaba said: "It's done."

Ren turned and dropped to his knees next to her. "Did it work? Do you have his phone?"

"Hold on! Jeeze!"

She typed away, doing whatever she needed to do. Then, with Ren feeling like he was going to pop out of his skin, a map loaded up on the screen. A red dot in the center of a large green space.

"That's him," said Futaba. "I'm pretty sure it is, anyway."

There was no writing on the map yet, just green.

"Can you zoom out?" asked Makoto.

Futaba obliged. Pulling the map out. The green section shrank back, surrounded by white. Ren realized the green space was indicating a forested or open land area. Someplace undeveloped. Futaba pulled out again. The blue of the ocean appeared to the west of the red dot. The web of roads of a small town between the blue and the red dot. Matsuzaki, said the map.

The dread. It surged through Ren. He didn't believe it. It was too much. Of all the places. Then he heard Otohime's voice in his head, her saying that Shido's partisans called yesterday, wanting their money. That's why they were here: the money to keep the corrupt corrupted.

Ryuji sighed. "You tracked one of our phones, Futaba."

Futaba shook her head. "No. I definitely did not."

"A celebrity.." Haru mumbled to herself. "Futaba! Can you pull up the security cameras again!"

"Sure. Why?"

"Just do it! Let's see the entrance!"

"Again?" wondered Makoto. But Haru ignored her, watching the computer screen.

Futaba's laptop displayed some low quality footage of the front entrance. A line of cars sat idling in front of the resort. Lots of cars. All the same kind of sedan. Ren felt ice shoot through his veins.

"Look through more cameras," he said, his voice thin.

Futuba switched the camera from the driveway to the halls of the first floor. Grey-suited men with sunglasses were all over the lobby, loitering. A collective intake of breath. Goons looking like goons. Unmistakable.

"Search the resort. Let's see it all."

Futaba switched to the room hallways, but they were all empty except for a few people who appeared to be legitimate guests of the resort. A sequence of empty karate dojo rooms. Makoto startled at that, but said nothing. Futaba switched to the second floor. Nothing. The third floor front office. Nothing.

"Ito has a camera in his own office," she mumbled. She switched to it.

A thin, high-school looking young man stood center in the frame, a bald man in a wheelchair next to him, both of them flanked by more grey-suited goons.

"Akechi!" everyone said at once.

A mixture of dread and relief flooded through Ren as he looked at Akechi's smiling face. What were the odds? But then again- of course Akechi was here, in the very same resort. Ren thought about the Velvet Room message once again: _Fate still weaves, but it knows not where_. He thought about the group's whimsical decision to loop clockwise around the peninsula on their way south from Tokyo. What was the rush? Then there was Futaba's desire to stop, right as they passed this town. Then there was Yusuke's unexplainable need to paint the beach, which caused the rescue, which lead to them discovering their personas, and the pizza party, and Mr. Ito's desire to have Ann model for the resort, which led to their investigation of the seaside businesses, which lead them to Otohime, and now, finally, the end of the thread: This very moment. Fate still weaved, indeed.

"Makoto! Text Sae."

"Yes."

"Who's in the chair?" asked Yusuke, "Is that.. Shido?"

"Yes," mumbled Makoto as she typed frantically at her phone. "Sae said that they've been playing the insanity card for the entire appeals process."

The camera appeared to be above and behind Ito, obviously to record the people he talked with. Ren thought of the office and realized it was probably hidden in that traditional tengu mask which was hanging there behind Ito's desk.

"Is there sound?" asked Ren.

"Yes," said Futaba, turning up the volume on her laptop.

"I'll ask one more time, Mr. Ito," said Akechi, his voice light and polite. "Where is Mr. Shido's money? I sent men to fetch it, but it wasn't there. I sent men to Otohime herself, but now I can't get in touch with them. I fear they are dead. Why is Otohime killing my men? And where is the money?"

"I don't know. She never gave it to me. How should I know?"

"'She never gave it to you'…'How should you know?'" repeated Akechi, his voice starting to get tense. "But this was all worked out, Mr. Ito. And it was working so well, the money was flowing to Mr. Shido, as it was supposed to. Otohime gets the product. Her family sells the product. You launder the cash. The clean cash gets both of you a Prime Minister in Mr. Shido who would favor you and your business interests highly. It seemed very straightforward. Why didn't Otohime give the money to you?"

Mr. Ito didn't answer.

"Okay, then," Akechi's voice was getting harsher still. "Fine. I don't have time for a war with Otohime's family right now. What about the previous payment of money she sent you? Where is that?"

"It-" said Mr. Ito. He coughed. Cleared his throat. "It isn't liquid anymore."

"You stole it," said Akechi, his face was starting to change now. "You stole Mr. Shido's money."

"He seemed finished!" blurted Mr. Ito. "They brought charges against him. He confessed!

Akechi's face turned very vile. Ren knew that look.

Mr. Ito stammered. "Bu- but I can get it back! I just need to sell some-"

"You stole Mr. Shido's money and you expect me to wait here for you and your fucking securities broker to figure out how to pay me back?!" Akechi's face was fully transformed now. Rage written all over it, his arms up in his hair, pulling. Then he froze. Calmed himself. Straightened his suit.

"I don't have time for that, Mr. Ito" Akechi said, pulling out a pistol. "And neither do you."

"Wait! I can get-"

POP! Mr. Ito's head flung backwards, blood splattering the camera. Todoro Ito slumped in his chair, limp and lifeless.

Akechi handed his gun to a gloved henchman. "You're all policemen, right? Make it look like suicide."

Then he walked out of the camera frame, leaving Shido behind.

"Fuck," said one of the goons, "He shot him dead on. No one shoots themselves from that direction."

"Yeah," said another, "I guess we have to just write a suicide note and hope the detectives in this town are total morons."

"If they're posted here, they probably are. We can clean it up later if need be, anyway."

Futaba said "I'm recording this."

"That's great," said Ryuji, "but we need to get the fuck out of here."

Ren agreed. Akechi's men were all over the hotel, and the Phantom Thieves had not used fake names when checking in because there had not seemed a need. If one of Akechi's men got on the hotel computer...it was only a matter of time before they were discovered.

"He's right. Let's go. Fast!"


	16. Chapter 16

Their movements through the hotel hallways were tense. Moving quietly in a long line of seven people and one cat. It had a sort of comedic appearance, but finding themselves in a hornet's nest of corrupt policemen was not amusing. Morganna was up in front with Ren, his ears flicking back and forth like radar dishes. Luckily, the passage from Futaba's room to the nearest emergency exit was not far, just a short trip down the hallway.

But as they neared the exit. "Someone is coming! Two someones!" said the cat.

They were in a dead-end hallway, with only the emergency exit. They would have to deal with whoever was coming, instantly, and quietly. Who would be best?

"Ryuji!" said Ren. "Ready Captain Kidd."

Ryuji nodded and moved up to the fore of the group.

Voices could be heard by the non-feline members of the team, now.

"I heard that the SIU is working directly with the National Police to hunt us down."

"...One of my old academy friends called me an hour ago,"

"You didn't answer, did you?"

"Fuck no, I'm not a moron. He hasn't called in ages. But it means they have my name. This is getting bad. Maybe we should-"

The emergency exit opened. Two men in grey suits and shades entered, looking everything like the generic cronies they were.

"Shut up! You want him to kill you himself? If he hears-" the talking man stopped in his tracks, spotting the seven crouched people before him.

The other man reached for his gun.

"Captain Kidd! Mazio!"

Small streaks of lightning struck both men, their bodies seizing up, jaws locking as all their muscles fired and locked. They fell to the ground and continued to twitch.

"Let's take their weapons," said Yusuke.

"No!" said Ryuji, "Look at them. If you touch them, you'll end up like them. Trust me."

The filtered past the twitching men, careful not to come into contact with them. The emergency exit led out to some sort of outdoor service and supply catwalk. The long hallway to the pizza restaurant was above them. The rushed down its length. Suddenly, Ann stopped.

"Wait," She turned to Futaba. "Get your ship! Let's fly out of here!"

"Oh! Yeah!" said Futaba. "Necronomicon!"

The flickering image of the flying saucer appeared, narrowly fitting in the space between catwalk and roof. But it was obviously damaged- a portion of the craft was sliced off. It certainly didn't look like it could fly.

Futaba looked a little afraid, she let the persona fade away. "It's still damaged from yesterday. I thought it would heal itself or something. It can't fly like that."

"What about the other one?" said Ryuji, "The face ball? How many people could fit?"

"Just me."

"Fuck!"

The needed to get moving. "It was a good idea," said Ren quickly, "But let's keep moving to the van."

They continued down the catwalk. At the end, some stairs turned up alongside the building. The parking lot was just above them now.

"Hey," said Haru, pointing at a door which read: Grounds Keeping.

Inside they found tools that one might expect to find in such a room. Ren took the machete. Ann a length of chain. Ryuji a hammer. Haru a shovel. Makoto some garden claws. Yusuke a hoe. Futaba a hand shovel. It was ridiculous- their enemies all had guns. They had their personas. But it seemed better than empty hands. It felt better. And he saw a bit of confidence reappear on some of his friend's faces. Not feeling entirely unarmed was a psychological benefit at the very least. Weapons in hand, it felt more like another run through a Palace. They could handle this. They'd faced worse.

They left the room and climbed up the stairs. Peeking over the ledge at the parking lot. It seemed empty of Akechi's men. The headed up and crouch-ran to the van.

They climbed into the vehicle, urgent silence was their only conversation. The doors shut as Makoto started up the engine and backed them out of the parking space. Ren's heart beating steadily in his chest. Maybe they could get clean away and let Sae deal with all of this. The van drove along the restaurant and then down towards the resort exit. The main entrance to the hotel portion of the resort was before them.

Akechi Goro walked out the resort's front entrance, short brown hair as it always was. His prim school uniform exchanged for a similar-looking light tan coat and white pants. The van was destined to go right in front of him. Akechi took out his phone, started typing at it, perhaps sending a text, a frustrated grimace on his face. The van drifted in front of him. He looked up, startled by the movement.

Time slowed for them all. The Phantom Thieves staring out the window of the van, and Akechi wide-eyed, mouth-open in shock, his eyes flicking between all their faces before him- then his expression morphed into one of rage. The van was past. Ren turned in his seat to watch him. Akechi was digging in his pocket for his gun, but he'd left it upstairs to stage Ito's suicide. Akechi started jumping in place, gesticulating, shouting in frustration and a small army of suited men ran out of the hotel behind him.

"Haru," said Ren, "Get ready for a magical attack!"

Haru spun in her seat, looking intently in the rear window. But Akechi only stood and watched them go, his soldiers swarming around him.

"He doesn't know about his persona," said Makoto, looking in the rearview mirror. "They're going to chase us."

"Gun it, Queen!" shouted Morgana as Akechi's foot soldiers sprinted for the cars parked in front of the hotel.

As they roared through the gate of the resort, Ren's phone rang. This wasn't the time to take a call, but he knew instinctively who it was. Futaba shrouded their phones in terms of location, but Ren's phone number was still the same.

Makoto glanced from the road to him, crimson eyes calculating. "Record that call."

Ren answered, hitting record.

"Moshi-mosh!" said a calculated, cheerful voice. "You hacked my phone to track me, didn't you? Call data, I assume? Always so clever with the phones."

How the hell did he know that? Oh! Akechi thought they'd tracked him here. Of course, that's where Akechi's mind would go. He wouldn't know about the sequence of events that the Phantom Thieves experienced over the last few days. To Akechi, this wasn't a chance meeting. Akechi must think he was being hunted and that the Phantom Thieves followed him from Tokyo this morning.

Ren couldn't think of anything to do with that sudden revelation, so he said: "We knew you were alive."

"Oh? Well, I suppose that's not surprising. I already knew you weren't all complete fools. That trick with the shadow-Ren was quite intricate. Niijima's idea, I assume? I was impressed. Angry. But impressed. In the end, I had to turn that one back on you. Did you like my little drama? Oh, I'm so jealous.. You have friends and I don't...Oh, you're going to be famous and I'm not... Waa-waa-waa. You all ate that shit up. And you STILL offered to have me back. That almost ruined my plan, actually. I hadn't anticipated the tenacity of your idiocy."

Ren didn't have a response to that. So Akechi hadn't died behind the door, as they'd expected. How he fooled Futaba's sensors- well, Ren supposed it didn't matter. Here he was.

Akechi continued:

"You know: I was stunned to see you all drive by me. Absolutely stunned. The Metaverse is gone, you know? Did you even notice? You must not have, being locked up and all, because why follow me when you have no fucking powers. No more stealing hearts. You're just normal kids playing detective. I AM a detective. And I have a fucking army. But: not in my faintest suspicions did I see this possibility. I didn't think you were all this stupid. You all following me to this shithole of a town? To this very resort? In a weird-ass van? And then you just… drive away? Why? It doesn't make sense..."

Ren wished Makoto could listen to this, but she was busy driving them away from a motorcade of corrupt policemen with guns. Akechi was hopping all over. He'd figured out the Metaverse was gone but clearly didn't know about the battle Above the Clouds. That was surprising. Wasn't he Yaldabaoth's avatar? And he didn't know about real-world personas. But Akechi continued to drone on in the phone- his voice was now thoughtful, self-absorbed. Ren realized Akechi wasn't actually talking to him anymore. Akechi was deducing.

"Were you snooping for evidence, perhaps? But it's not like you needed any more evidence against Shido...so that means you are looking for evidence on me. But there isn't anything here like that. But- I was upstairs, and then I come downstairs and you are driving away. Driving away because you found something... A camera. That rat Ito had a camera in his office, I bet. You all have a recording of me now. That's it. And a recording of this call, of course. Niijima reminded you to do it, I'm sure. She's the only one with real brains."

What the hell was Akechi talking about? Evidence? Recordings? Ren just wanted his friends to be alive when the sun rose tomorrow. Akechi was fabricating for himself an entire scenario wherein the Phantom Thieves had been plotting... What? Hack his phone. Track him. Well.. that part was accurate. But then Akechi diverged from reality and thought they'd used that info to follow him from Tokyo... because they... Hoped to catch him doing some crime? Any crime?.. And they recorded Ito's murder just in time and now were trying to flee with a physical copy of the data? It was a wild suspicion, but Ren had to concede that it was more likely than what actually happened. The real path of the Phantom Thieves' fate to this point was much less probable. If Akechi looked at the guest records and saw that they'd already been here… that would probably cause him a sleepless night or two.

Would Akechi believe that, until just a few minutes ago, the Phantom Thieves were still a bit unsure he was even alive? Only Ren's vague suspicion maintaining the possibility? Unlikely. And did it even matter? Not really. Akechi would want them dead either way. What Akechi thought happened versus what really happened- it didn't really matter. Nondescript men with guns were hunting Ren and his friends this very instant.

"What are you playing at, Akechi? Your faction is practically in full rebellion against the government. The real police are on your heels. You're still thinking about making Shido Prime Minister?"

Akechi sighed deeply. "It's maddening to be hounded by someone so fucking stupid, Amamiya. I'm not being chased by police. I'm being chased by employees. Employees with badges. Employees following the elder Niijima's orders. So when I kill Niijima Sae, they will follow the orders of whoever replaces her. See?"

"Everyone knows the truth, Akechi! It's done!"

"No! NO! You still don't get it, you dumb fuck!? SOME people know the truth! What do you think happens when they're all dead? We get all the evidence and destroy it! A fucking child can figure that out."

Ren didn't have anything to say to that. After all the "justice" he'd experienced at the hands of the legal system this last year, he was inclined to believe Akechi on this point.

"They are starting to catch up, Ren." said Makoto as they took a particularly sharp turn, the force of which shoving Ren into the passenger door with a thump. Akechi droned on.

"Well- I planned to hunt you all down eventually, of course, but there was so much work to be done first. Collecting Shido's stray sheep. Culling the liabilities...But that obnoxious bitch, Niijima Sae, forced my hand."

Akechi took a deep breath. "Sorry. I get so vulgar these days. It's not like me... Anyway... You're all right here- now. You've really made it easy for me. I just kill you, destroy your stupid recordings, and get on with my life. " Akechi sighed again and made his voice sound tired. "I have so many pawns, Joker. Too many. It's troublesome to move them all. So try to take some of them out before you and your friends die. Please? It will save me some money."

Ren heard a crunching sound. The line went dead.. Ren was pretty sure Akechi just destroyed his phone. There went all of Futaba's hard work.

"Was that Akechi?" shouted Ryuji, "What's that prick saying?"

Ren didn't answer. He was processing. He'd just wanted to get them out of here. Let Sae and the police take down Akechi and his goons, but now Akechi was convinced that he needed to eliminate them. There was no safe place to escape to. No waiting for reinforcements. Ground zero was where ever they happened to be.

And Akechi was right! That was the weirdest part! They did have significant evidence against him now! The recording of him shooting Ito- which Futaba had pretty much recorded as an afterthought to them just plain discovering Akechi was two floors above them! Surprise!

And it's not like they could destroy Futaba's laptop and say: "No, we don't have it, see?" Akechi would still kill them. And probably their families, just to be safe. Who knows what they might have told their confidants. But the ironic fact was, they'd not planned any of this! This was fate, all right. It was sickening.

They'd just been plopped down into the arena for the main event. The final match for everything. The gods made their little game, showed everyone the rules, held a scrimmage, coached their sides, then stepped back and reset for the real thing. Good luck, Trickster! Make sure to win on your first attempt this time because:

"The game is over," he said to himself.

"What?! Louder! What did he say? I couldn't hear you." said Ryuji.

POP! Glass cracked, a whizzing sound shot through the car, a bullet hole appeared in the front windshield. Everyone screamed instinctively.

"Holy fuck!" said Ryuji.

The lead car was gaining on them, a grey sedan, normal windows- it looked everything like a normal non-marked police car- except for the man in a suit leaning out the back driver's side window pointing a pistol in their direction.

POP! And a metallic thunk sound came from somewhere on the back of the van.

Haru turned in the backseat, flung out her hand. "Astarte! Tetrakarn!" The image of a strangely purple skull flashed around Haru, then vanished.

POP! Sparks appeared in mid-air just behind the car.

Ryuji stood up. "Take this, fuckers! Kidd! Maziodyne!" The ghost of his persona flashing into existence, and a shotgun blast of lightning shot out, narrowly missed the car directly behind them, but bolts struck two of the others following. The vehicle's airbags deployed and they suddenly veered off the road and smashed into trees. Three more cars drove around them, and still more behind those.

"Ryuji!" Yusuke pulled Ryuji down. POP! A hole appeared in the top of the van where Ryuji's head had been before.

Futuaba climbed down onto the floor between the middle and front seats, holding her head. Green and blue ghost flame began leaking out her closed eyelids and she began chanting "Marakukaja. Marakukaja. Marakukaja..." A steady litany behind the chaos of noise and wind in the van.

Yusuke opened his passenger door, pointed an arm towards the pavement. "Goemon! Bufulu!". White mist shot out from his hand at the beckoning of his persona, but it merely left a path of frost on the road. No significant ice formed. The chasing cars drove right over it.

"We're going too fast for that, Fox!" yelled Morgana, "The ice can't build up!"

"Astarte! Tetrakarn!" yelled Haru again.

"That only works for one attack at a time," said Makoto to Ren, then Queen shouted: "Joker, take the wheel!"

Hearing that tone, Ren's body responded before he could even think about it. He snagged the driving wheel as Makoto opened the driver's side door and flung herself out of the speeding vehicle.

"Makoto!" yelled Ann.

A vibrant blue shimmer appeared underneath Makoto's flying body, and suddenly she was not falling, but astride Johanna. From only whistling wind to a roar of fury, the cycle's engine flared up as Makoto shot up ahead of the van like the older French vehicle was in slow-motion, her skirt and short hair billowing violently in the wind.

POP! Twang!

"Astarte! Tetrakarn! Oh, there's another one! Another guy with another gun!" Shouted Haru.

POP! POP! Twang! And a more fleshy sound. Haru screamed in pain.

Ren glanced in the mirror. Haru was slumping over. He saw the glisten of blood on the seat.

"Haru!" Ryuji shouted.

"No!" shouted Ann, "This isn't real! This isn't real."

Meanwhile, Makoto screeched into a 180-degree turn. Her body was tucked so far under the armored, bulky front of the motorcycle, Ren could no longer see her- only the human-like face of Makoto's persona that made up the machine's nose. Then the cycle's engine roared again, and it was a blue streak, almost too fast for Ren's eye to follow, shooting narrowly between the van and the hillside, and directly into the center of the lead follow car. In the rear-view mirror, Ren saw the car's hood crumple, the two gunmen sticking out the windows jerked forward violently, then the blue streak was through the car entirely and the split vehicle exploded into a fireball.

KOOM!

"Magnificent!" cried Yusuke.

With the lead car no longer firing, Ann and Morgana moved towards Haru, slumping in her seat, holding her side. Personas were ghosting, and green mist flowed towards a wound in Haru's abdomen.

"She fine!" shouted Ann with giddy relief, "I can see the bullet, it didn't even go all the way under her skin. Oracles' defensive augment is working!"

"Queen's still back there, looks like she's dodging around the other cars," said Ryuji.

KOOM!

"Well, not dodging all of them, I guess. What a badass!"

"She…" Haru was looking pale, "She killed those people!"

She was right. Makoto had likely just killed at least five people- and done so to save their lives. There wasn't any time to question the morality of it. Ren could think about it to his heart's content if they survived this day, but for now, he was just fucking mad. Furious that such a thing was so necessary. Furious he hadn't seen this coming. Furious that Makoto needed to go alone.

"They are going to kill us!" snarled Ren, eyes flashing to Haru's reflection in his mirror. "You just took a bullet! Fuck them!"

Haru's face was still white. She looked away from Ren's gaze. But dammit- survive first. Ethics later.

Rage continued to build up in Ren. Makoto was surrounded by enemies, buying them time to get away. The fear for her was transforming into anger as he knew he couldn't go out there right now and help her. His responsibility was the rest of the team. They couldn't make a stand against trained gunmen on a mountain road. Too many bullets and only one good shot needed to make it through.

"We need to get off this road!" Ren said, mostly to himself.

"Or we can close this road! I can knock down some trees!" shouted Morgana. "Pull around this corner, Ren! Futaba, open the door!"

That was an idea. Ren complied.

"What about Queen?" shouted Ryuji. "If we block the road-"

"She just cut through two cars like they were paper! If she wants to come back up this road, trees aren't gonna stop her!" Ren shouted. He slammed on the brakes and screeched the car to a stop. Morgana leaped out, a small black cat in the middle of a road.

"Mercurius!" the cat shouted, and the vision of a figure with winged boots ghosted above and behind the feline. "Magarundyne!" The van shook violently as a sudden gust of wind burst forth from Morgana, trees on both sides of the road blew over in a cacophony of cracking wood and hissing leaves. The trees thundered to the pavement, building a sizable tangle of thick wood that no sedan was getting over.

"Let's go!" shouted Joker. Morgana leaped back into the car. Tires squealed as they drove away. As they turned the next bend, the first of the chase cars came to screeching stop before the barrier of fallen trees.

The van was suddenly quiet, save for the wind whistling through the damaged parts of the van. Everyone was breathing heavily, wide-eyed. Futaba had stopped her chanting and looked a little sick.

"What now?" said Ann, "Akechi has so many policemen on his side. What can we do?"

"Get out of here," said Ren. "Get behind Sae's men. Let the adults do their damn jobs for once."

"What about Makoto?" asked Ann.

"She's the fastest and smartest of us all. She will be fine," said Ren, trying to convince himself. "And she has her phone. She'll call us."

He turned the next corner. A sedan was waiting, parked lengthwise on the road. Two suited men held their guns, pointing at Ren. "Get down!"

Ren hit the brakes hard and leaned sideways as bullets struck through the front window. He tried to keep the wheel as steady as he could. They slammed into the blockading sedan, Ren jerking forward into his seatbelt, but thankfully not hitting his head on anything. They ground to a halt, the old vehicle not having the mass to push the car out of the way.

Ren peeked up. The two men were getting to their feet, they had jumped off to the left to avoid the oncoming car. Their guns were coming up. Coming up to kill his friends. He had to act, just as Makoto had done. To do what was necessary. He hated these men. They were not humans. They were the tools of a monster. He hated that this was necessary. It was their fault that Ren no longer had any choice.

Ren imagined them dead, their bodies desiccated, their faces drawn in silent screams.

"Arsene," Ren growled under his breath. "Maeigaon."

The grey-suited men stopped in their tracks. Surprise appeared on their faces. They dropped their guns. Then they began screaming as their flesh rotted and went dark. Ren watched them. Forcing himself to witness his own power. Maybe it would keep him from misusing it in the future- assuming he had one. The men finally collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

"Holy shit…" said Ryuji.

Ren tried to start the van. The engine was silent- even the starter was disconnected. He got out and looked at the front. The engine compartment was mangled badly. The police sedan was similarly disabled- the front left wheel was sheared off from the impact. They were stranded on foot.

Ren looked back down the road they'd driven down. There would probably be no cars coming that way. He looked down the direction this ambush car must have come down. That was a problem. They needed to disappear. He would prefer Akechi's men not being able to narrow down their position- their disabled vehicle would be a pretty big clue.

The others were piling out of the car to join him. He turned to the faces of his friends. They were all tense, a bit pale, and Haru and Futaba looked a bit sick.

"Help me push the van off the road," he told them, " We need to hide it. Get your stuff out. Your tools."

"What about the money in the back?" asked Ryuji.

"What are we going to do with it? Just leave it."

Haru and Yusuke picked up the guns from the road surface. Well- at least they had two. But gunfights with trained policemen? Ren didn't like the idea, but he didn't like this whole fucking day now. Two guns were a vast improvement over none, but did it drastically change their options? No. But one thing at a time. Get some breathing space. Then figure out what the fuck to do.

Yusuke spread ice on the road surface, allowing them to relatively easily turn the vehicle towards the downhill slope and shove it down. The loyal van rolled down quickly, vanished into the thick brush, the flexible branches mostly moving back in place- they heard the sounds of rustling as the unseen van continued down, then a loud crash as it hit something solid. Then silence. Other than the clear tire tracks, one could not tell at first glance that an automobile had just driven down through there- and thanks to the gardening tools they all had, they were able to quickly conceal the tracks, too. Good enough for someone not looking for tire tracks, Ren hoped.

Morgana, still up on the road, suddenly shouted, "A car is coming!"

"Into the woods!" hissed Ren.

They all pressed back into the thick vegetation which concealed the path of their dead van. They waited in tense silence as the sound of an engine approached. The car stopped and idled quietly. Doors opened.

"What the hell?"

"What happened to them?"

"I don't know, but those kids ain't kids."

Footsteps.

"Their guns are missing."

"Fuck."

Silence. Then footsteps.

"Mr. Akechi. The men at the roadblock are dead... I don't know…. I don't know!... What do they look like? They look dead!... They are all black and shriveled and shit…And there is some ice on the road...No sign of the car. And we didn't pass it, but there are some side roads and trails they may have gone down... okay…Yeah?...Okay, we'll look."

A muted "boop".

"What's that prick's deal?"

"Same as always. He wants us to keep looking and flush them out. He's got people spreading out downhill. When the kids make a break for town from the forest, they'll gun them down."

Footsteps.

"Why the fuck do we care about some high school kids? Let's just get on the ship before NATPOL is on our asses."

Car doors opening.

"I hear you. But apparently, these kids gotta die. But you should still go say that to Mr. Akechi. I'll visit your hot widow for you."

"Fuck you."

Car doors closing. The engine revved up into the whine of reverse. Wheels ground on the asphalt. Gears shifted. The engine noise drifted away.

Ren sighed in relief. At least their ploy with the van worked. A bit of reprieve was exactly what they needed. But he also wondered about what the goon had said- a ship? Was Akechi's plan to get away from here by sea? That would make sense- as it would be really easy to bottle up this whole area by land- but by sea, Akechi could go practically anywhere in the country by going out to sea and coming back into shallow water where he wanted. The ocean was big, and for a big flat space, surprisingly easy to hide in. Especially at night.

But since Akechi needed them dead, it seemed unlikely he would leave until he managed that.

His phone buzzed. Makoto! He pulled out the device from his pocket.

"Is it Makoto?" asked Ann.

==Q: im clear. Let me know when you get this.

"Yeah," Ren sighed with relief as he typed his reply. Figuring if she thought it was safe to talk, she would have just called. Then again, maybe she was worried about ringtones.

==J: we clear. Lost the van. We're on foot but ok. Where you?

==Q: had to ride uphill. Down is too thick.

==J: they have downhill guarded. We will come to you.

==Q: ok.i found a safe spot near the top to hide. I'll wait. Be safe plz.

"She's made it. She had to go uphill though," Ren told them. "Since we can't go down apparently, let's regroup with her."

If Akechi and his men thought they were trying to flee the area, presumably to get their data to Sae- though if that really were the case, wouldn't Ren and the others just upload the video to the internet? Wouldn't Akechi wonder about that, too? Well- either way, Akechi didn't expect them to hike up the mountain because it was basically a big dead end for them. But Makoto was there. The roads were being watched. The lower forest was thick and nearly impassable. And the other side of the forest was being carefully guarded by Akechi's men, anyway.

Up it was.

* * *

They hiked through the upper forest as quietly as they could. The vegetation was still so thick in some places they had to go around portions of it. But as they traveled, the slope grew steeper, the trees farther apart, the ground stonier. Sightlines were extending, which began to make Ren nervous again.

"Joker!" a voice hissed... Ren's head jerked towards the sound. Makoto was crouched near a cluster of boulders. Trees growing nearby gave her position the appearance of a secluded nook.

"Queen!" said Morgana. "You were amazing."

Makoto's face remained grim and they joined her. "I don't feel amazing. I can't believe I did that. I murdered those men!" Her face scrunched up with guilt. She looked down.

Ren reached out and lifted her chin back up. Her crimson eyes were glistening, but they returned his gaze steadily. "You saved our lives. That's not murder."

"Fuckin' right," said Ryuji.

Nods from everyone. Even Haru, the most shocked, set her jaw and nodded in agreement.

"You have our gratitude," said Yusuke, "And we all may be following your example." He looked to the sky. The sun was only just starting its descent from noon. "It seems this day is far from over."

Ren thought Yusuke's sobering observation was useful. The day was yet young. "Makoto, does Sae know when she will get here?"

Makoto shook her head. "I've been texting her while I waited. She's still in Tokyo."

"What the fuck!" growled Ryuji. "Why ain't they rushing over by now?"

"When will they be here?" asked Futaba.

Makoto closed her eyes and sighed again. "Its the weekend. They have to gather their people. Then they need to get through traffic. And drive here." Her eyes opened again, tense. "Sae estimates not till after nightfall."

"Well, fuck us, right!" said Ryuji.

"Quiet, you moron!" hissed Ann.

"Can't they fly?" wondered Haru.

"Yeah, get a helicopter or something," said Morgana.

Makoto sighed again. "I suggested that. Sae said she was denied… for lack of budget."

Ren felt rage shoot through him. It was always money with fucking adults.

Ryuji looked like he was about to yell again. Ann punched his arm. "Ow!"

"There are also few official copters," said Makoto, "and as we've seen, they need to bring a lot of men to counter Akechi's numbers. They must drive."

Ren thought that at least made a bit more sense, but still! Anyway, there was no point getting angry about Sae's struggles to help them. They needed to survive until after nightfall. It was a bit after noon now. That meant they probably needed to last another seven hours on their own. And it would not take that long for Akechi to deduce that the Phantom Thieves were hiding uphill, already contained in the trap that was this mountain.

"So, how are we getting out of here?" wondered Futaba.

"We're not," said Ren. "We're on foot. And even if we had a car- all the roads are guarded. I think our only option is to fight them. Right here. Control this place and fight them"

All eyes stared at him.

"But we're Phantom Thieves, not Phantom Soldiers!" said Ann, 'Are you proposing an open battle with trained police officers? There's only eight of us, and we only have two guns!"

"And no extra rounds," murmured Yusuke.

Ren sat back on his heels. An open battle? That was what he was about to propose, wasn't it? It seemed surreal. Everyone watched him as he looked around them. The grass and scattered groups of trees swayed in a gentle wind. On all sides, the open sky and the distant horizon surrounded. Then he looked at the tired, anxious faces of his friends, his fellow Phantom Thieves, people he wanted alive, prosperous, and happy above anything else in the world.

"Look around us," said Ren, "We've literally been pushed back to the roof of the world and we've nowhere else to go. Our backs are against the sky. We're surrounded on all sides. Akechi's men control the land. We can't get to the sea if we wanted to, because Akechi controls the roads. We can't fly because Futaba's persona is damaged. The local authorities who are supposed to protect people like us might belong to Akechi, and we won't know which ones are which. And even if they are not corrupt- they are too few to help us and would be unwilling to fire on their fellow officers- officers who will vehemently claim that we are the villains. And Sae's forces won't be here till long after we're dead."

"After Above the Clouds, we were told the game was over. And we took that for victory. But now I think it meant just that: The game was over. This is the real ending. Right now. The Meteverse was like some grand tutorial and now we are doing the real thing. Fate brought us here and gave us our personas. It brought Akechi here, too. For what? For us to run away? Does that make sense?"

"I don't want to kill anyone else, but I desperately don't want any of you to die. Here we are, in the sky once again, and when I consider the options of fleeing or standing our ground, I see all of you and I think of all the battles we've fought, all the odds we've beaten… I know we have a better chance fighting. Bringing the enemy to us. Using every advantage we have- rather than trying to sneak through enemy territory."

Silence. Thoughtful, concerned faces.

"What if we try to change his heart, instead?" suggested Ann. "Like with Otohime?"

Everyone's heads moved slightly in surprise. That's right. They could try and do that, couldn't they? Akechi was certainly distorted.

"He has many more guards around him," said Yusuke.

"But maybe we can separate him from-" Makoto was talking slowly, thinking it out.

"No," said Haru.

All eyes turned to her. "No. I'm not willing to risk my life, or your lives, in some infiltration in the middle of nowhere, with men with guns all around and out for our blood. Not for him. No."

"But if we could turn him…" Ren said, starting to consider the possibilities.

"No, Ren!" Haru's voice was vehement. "You gave Akechi his chance. He declined. Multiple times! I say no. Forever. And we do everything unanimously, right?"

Ren's mind went blank as he looked at Haru's intense, violet eyes. What was there to say to that? She was right. If she was that firm, then there could be no infiltration. It could never be unanimous.

"I agree with Haru," said Futaba, quietly.

The group was silent. These two women had lost the most to Akechi and Shido's machinations. No one was willing to talk them out of what they felt. No one seemed to know what to say.

Finally, Makoto said: "When we were in Hawaii, I read something interesting about their first king, King Kamehameha."

"Really, Makoto? Now?" sighed Ryuji, "Is now the time for a history factoid?"

"Just listen! In one of his final battles, King Kamehameha decided the only way to end the war was to eliminate the enemy's soldiers. So during the battle, he used his army to force his enemy to retreat up a mountain, and then he shoved them off a cliff."

"Brutal," said Morganna.

"Yes," said Ren.

"So we lure them to that clearing we trained in? There is that cliff which directly overlooks the resort," said Yusuke. "And devise some way to gather them and- push them?"

"I can push things," said Morgana.

"Are you willing to do that, Mona?" asked Haru.

If a cat could look deadly serious, it would look like Morgana. "I'm necessary in your lives, right? Well- you're all necessary in mine, too."

Silence. Ann patted Morgana's head.

"How do we get them to come up here?" asked Futaba, "Send photos of ourselves to Akechi? Say- 'neener-neener' come get us?"

"That would work, I suppose, " said Ren, "But it might not get Akechi to come out. He might just send his men. It would be nice to deal with them all at once."

"How about we use the thing he came here for," suggested Ann. "The thing he desperately needs to survive, and the thing he won't trust anyone else to possess?"

All heads turned to her.

"How about the three billion yen?"


	17. Chapter 17

"I asked you about the money when we crashed, remember, Ren?"

"Yes."

"You said 'Just leave it,' remember?"

"Yes, Ryuji. You were right."

"Just so it's clear to everyone. I was right about something."

"Be careful. Avoid engaging anyone.'

"Yeah, Joker, yeah."

Yusuke, Ryuji, and Morgana as their scout, headed back down the mountain towards where they stashed the van to fetch the money case. The hike was almost an hour in each direction, and Ren expected them to be a bit slower on the way back up. Meanwhile, the rest of the Thieves huddled in their little dugout, drawing in the dirt.

"So this is the field," said Makoto, drawing a rough circle, "and this side has the cliff face. And we place the chest in the clearing here, close to the cliff edge- the obvious bait to an obvious trap. What is Akechi going to do?"

Ren stared at the diagram, then thought of something. "Hang on, let's bring in a consultant."

"What?" said Haru.

Ren took out his phone, dialed a number, and put the phone down on speakerphone. It rang a few times, and then a soft female voice answered.

"Hello, Ren. It's unlike you to call."

"Togo-sensei, I hope to trouble you for some guidance. My friends and I could profit from your tactical expertise."

"Eh? What are you doing, Ren?"

"Something pretty dangerous. We could really use your help."

The line was silent for a moment. "Dangerous?... Very well... I'll do my best."

"You're on speaker phone." Ren then described the terrain, the bait, the trap, the enemy (vaguely) and the goal. "If we spread out around the prize, on the opposite side of the cliff face… Hifumi, you have many more pieces than us. Could we trap you in this way?"

"Ren, this sounds very serious! I'm just a shogi player! I don't think I'm qualified for-"

"Hifumi, you are. You're the only tactical genius we know. We need to win this or die. Please."

The phone was silent again. Then Hifumi said: "You would not trap me like that. I would spread my more numerous pieces out around you, and then trap you inside the trap you intended for me."

"Bummer," said Futaba.

Ren sighed, it seemed so obvious now that she said it. "Okay, Hifumi, thanks. Can you stay on the line, we are going to talk this out and I would like you to listen and let us know your ideas."

"Very well, Ren."

"Can we ambush him on his way up from the resort?" said Haru.

"It's too much ground for us to cover," said Makoto, "If he spreads his men out, which he will if he's hunting for us and suspicious of ambushes, it would be really easy to get through our line, either with stealth or with concentrated force at a single point. If even one person gets behind us, it could be fatal."

"Can we collapse the cliff face?" asked Ann.

Ren imagined a huge chunk of rock sliding away, Akechi and his goons falling to their doom. It certainly had an appeal.

But Makoto said: "I can't think of how we would do that. I don't think we can put out the power to make that possible."

Ren was disappointed. But she was probably right. Fire. Ice. Lightning. Wind. They could bring down a mountain- in a few dozen million years or so. Haru couldn't exactly mind melt a mountain down. But Makoto- she had the nuclear powers persona.

"Not even your nuclear attacks?" Ren asked her.

Makoto shook her head. "No, they are not nearly that strong. Plus, remember how they work? It's more or less a beam of atomic energy. It's mostly thermal. Heat, not explosive. And even if I did have the power, we couldn't use it for two reasons. One: We can't drop a mountain onto an inhabited town. Two: We can't create atomic explosions over an inhabited town."

Well, that did make pretty good sense to Ren.

"I have a suggestion," said Hifumi.

Everyone looked to the phone.

"We're eager ears over here," said Ren.

"If I were you," began Hifumi, "I would concentrate my pieces where I could only be flanked from one side, but still strike at where the prize is- the kill zone. So then, whether my enemy chose to go for the prize, or go for my pieces, they would still advance towards my front line, though the kill zone. And if any scouts from the enemy's trap line wandered too close to my flank, I would know what direction they would come from and I could eliminate them."

Makoto rubbed out the semicircle Ren had drawn, and instead drew a smaller circle on the steeper side of the north portion of the clearing.. Ren thought about the prize. Akechi needed to eliminate them, so he was going to attack them anyway. But if he got hold of the money, he would likely withdraw and leave his goons behind. Ren wanted to end Akechi with this trap, too.

"Would you attack or try and take the prize without eliminating us?" asked Ren.

"It would be a decision based on how I felt the game was going," said Hifumi. "I wouldn't be sure unless I was in the moment."

"I see. So attacking us directly seems straight forward, but let's assume you go for the prize instead of us. What would you do?"

"I would keep my main force back and send my least valuable piece to take the prize, and see what happens. That will force you to act, because if you don't, I get the prize. And if you do, I trigger your trap and lose very little in the process."

"So we'd need to be able to handle the capturing pawn without committing everything,' mumbled Makoto, "A trap within the trap."

"Yes," said Hifumi. "If you could eliminate enough pawns, I would inevitably decide that the attrition is too much and I would commit to a full attack before I lose too much of my numbers advantage. So if you have pieces to sacrifice until then, that's how to use them."

Ren looked around at his friends. "No. We don't have anything to sacrifice. We need to avoid losses. It would be better to lose the prize than lose a peice."

"That limits your options," said Hifumi, "But maybe an agile piece that can move in and out safely?"

Ann looked up. "Or one that is really small."

"Morgana," said Futaba.

"I'm not following," said Hifumi.

"Togo-sensei. You've been a huge help. Anything else you can think of?"

"No. And I don't know what you are involved in, Ren, but… don't die. Should I call the police? Where are you?"

"It's already in the works. Don't worry. I'll see you again."

"Don't die, please!"

"I won't, Hifumi, thanks to you. Goodbye." Ren hung up the line. He looked at Makoto, their strategist. She was looking intently at their little drawing in the dirt. "What do you think?" said Ren.

Makoto nodded to herself. "I agree with her. The Kamehameha plan doesn't seem feasible now that I've heard her points. And I can't think of any way to attract a large group of people to stand in the open and wait to be pushed off a cliff. I think Ms. Togo's plan is better."

She erased the small circle on the map. "I'm going to draw it a bit more accurately." She drew a sort of shallow V-shape. Pointing at the shorter end. "That's the flanking team, and the rest form the main line."

"I like Yusuke for the far flank," continued Makoto, "His ice abilities are probably the quietest, so he might be able to neutralize early scouts silently. Plus the ice can have utility if he's creative with it."

"What about Haru's psychic attacks?" asked Ren.

"Her targets tend to scream really loud."

"Oh, right. Well, I want a healer with him."

"I agree," said Makoto, nodding. "And probably another one within reach in case that healer needs help. An even spread of the three of us seems best."

"I agree."

The heads of Ann, Haru, and Futaba were traveling back and forth as Ren and Makoto discussed the developing plan.

"Hey!" objected Ann, "We all might have ideas, too!"

Both Ren and Makoto looked at her. They raised their eyebrows expectantly. "Yes?"

"Um, well, actually what you both are saying sounds good. But I'll be the healer with Yusuke," she said, "Plus if it gets bad, I can help close off the area with fire, right?"

"Good idea, Ann," said Makoto. She tapped a second emblem on the flanking side of her diagram. "And Morgana will be near the prize, so I suppose I'll be near the center. I'm the most mobile healer, thanks to Johanna. And everything else seems straightforward. The big hitters in the center- Ren, Haru, and Ryuji."

"What about me?" said Futaba.

"You're in Prometheus, flying way above and augmenting us like all of our battles." Then Ren pictured her floating above their battle line, a nice fat target for an enemy with tons of guns. "Wait. What is the range on your defensive spells, Futaba?"

"About 50 meters. I tested it in the Palaces a few times."

50 meters. Even pistols could shoot that far easy enough. "Is Prometheus bullet-proof?"

"Dunno."

"Your flying saucer wasn't," said Ann.

"A dragon laser beam isn't exactly a bullet!"

"We can test it," said Haru. "Futaba can summon it and we can shoot it."

"That's too loud, Haru!" said Makoto.

"Oh, right."

Ren had an idea. "I know how to test it. Summon it, Futaba."

"Ok... Prometheus!"

The black orb ship appeared, roughly twice the size of Futaba herself. It floated calmly near her. Ren stood, walked to it, and chopped it with his machete. The blade sunk deeply into the persona's surface. It wasn't metal. It was plastic-y. Maybe fiberglass? Assuming personas were constructed of real materials at all.

"Hey! Ren!" cried Futaba. "I don't even know if I can repair these things! And you pissed him off!"

Ren gently pulled out his machete. "Sorry, Prometheus- but we needed to know." The persona faded away. Ren turned to Futaba and held up his gardening tool. "If this blade can sink in that far, it's certainly not bullet-proof. You can't fly around like you normally do this time. It would be a death sentence."

"Then where do I go?" Futaba's voice was shrill.

Ren walked back to the dirt diagram. He pointed at the edge of the circle behind their position.

"Behind the line just over the lip of the hill." said Ren. "I don't want you in line of sight of anybody."

"I'm not a child, Ren!' Futaba looked angry, a bit of mania in her voice. "I'm only a year younger!"

Ren looked at her intently. "None of us are children. But you don't have combat spells. You don't use weapons. And now you can't even stay out of reach. But if you hide there, you can assist and support just like you always have. From safety. Why would that be different now?"

"Everything is different now. Give me one of the guns."

Ren's brain went blank for a second, rejecting that idea on principle. Though she was right. Everything was different now. But! Futaba with a gun? Sojiro would kill him. He glanced at Makoto. Her face was thoughtful, but she was watching him. She knew Ren held a unique position in the Sakura family- an adoptive son and older brother. Makoto was leaving it to him- everyone was.

He looked back at Futaba. Her serious face was riveted to his. Ren was mildly surprised she was staying quiet and letting him think- that was unusual. She certainly did mature rapidly. And what would Sojiro do if Futaba was killed? The man would wither away to nothing. And it wasn't like Futaba's lack of offense made her safer. It was the opposite.

Futaba was determined. Ren idly noticed her red hair contained a few twigs and leaves from their hike- there was a scratch on one of the lenses of her glasses. But he was noticing that just to delay his own decision. Ren nodded.

Haru handed her the pistol she took from the men killed on the road. "Here. Futaba. Please be careful, okay?"

Futaba took the weapon into her hands with some bit of reverence, seeming a bit surprised she had won.

"Do you know how to use it, Futaba?" asked Makoto.

"Yeah, I've hung out with Iwai with Ren. He's got ones that are super real. It's just like this." She considered the weapon, then looked up again.

"Can I have both? You know, one in each hand?"

"No!" said everyone in unison.

"Lame..."

"And I still want you behind the lip of the hill," said Ren. "Your defensive augments are much more important than you shooting that gun, do you understand? You probably saved Haru today already- You may save all of us if you keep your concentration and keep our defenses up, okay?"

Futaba nodded. "I understand." It was the same role she'd objected to earlier, but apparently being granted the gun eased her sense of inferiority. Ren was relieved. Her role in the team was essential, especially in the real world. Toughening their skin against bullets was miraculous. It was one of the main reason this whole battle idea seemed remotely feasible. Getting shot wouldn't be the worst injury most of them had ever experienced in their careers, but that danger of near instantaneous death a gun could accomplish was the scary part. Futaba helped mitigate that possibility.

Speaking of death...He looked at Makoto. "Quick off-topic question. Morgana was capable of resurrection in the Metaverse. Do you think he can do it here?"

Makoto's eyes narrowed in thought. "Based on what we know, I can't think of any reason it wouldn't."

"Supposedly," said Ann, "people have been resurrected in our world before."

"A long time ago. In legends," said Haru, "but it's hard to doubt such things now, isn't it?"

"The world is weird," said Futaba. "But let's just not die, ok?"

No one knew what to say to that. So Makoto tapped her stick at the dirt diagram again.

"So if we place the prize near a thicket, or maybe a hole?" murmured Makoto, "Morgana could protect the prize without being seen, and have an escape route when Akechi commits his main force."

"Something that bullets can't get through," said Ren.

"So not a thicket then."

"We have tools," said Ann, "We could even make something."

"Good idea!" said Makoto.

Ren used his fingers to trace lines from Akechi's assumed direction. "So what does the battle look like? Say it works, and Akechi and his men wander into our trap zone. How does it go?"

Faces scrunched up in thought.

"We pop up and go blammo!" said Futaba. "Isn't that obvious?"

"Yes," said Ren, leading her to the real problem. "But then what? What of the people we don't hit? How long does it take to aim a gun? A second or less? And we're standing there, out of our cover, plain targets, right?"

Futaba frowned. "Oh yeah… hmm…'

"And we can't stay under the lip of the mountain," said Haru. "We need to be able to see our targets to attack them."

"And if we can see our target, they can see us," said Ann.

Faces scrunched up in more thought, then a general brainstorm poured out from all sides:

"A fortification?"

"We don't have that much time."

"We could knock the trees down. Morgana can do it."

"There are not many trees up there."

"Then why do it up there?"

"We need barriers where we can't get flanked from. The side of the mountain does that for us on two sides."

"Oh yeah."

"An ice barrier? We can see through it and can't be shot through it."

"Yusuke's ice doesn't last that long. When he rescued the kid, it melted faster than normal ice."

"Oh."

"And it would be visible. We need them to not be able to see us until we spring the trap."

"A bunch of bushes. We could bring them up."

"That would look just as obvious as the ice. And bullets go through bushes."

"Well, how are we hiding Morgana?"

"Umm… we have a shovel and a hoe. Maybe some Morgana sizes ruts, like open ceiling tunnels. Then he can move around freely, but still be below the ground, and still attack the people coming to steal the money."

"Okay, let's use that for us, too. We dig little ruts so we can see through the lip of the hill, but our bodies are still below it. A bit of grass would conceal it. And our personas stand over us so they can shoot without us being exposed."

"Ann, that's an amazing idea," Makoto said with awe.

"Of course!" Then Ann's face went serious. "Wait, why did you sound a little surprised?"

One of Makoto's eyes closed and she blushed, "Eh? I don't know what you mean."

Ann pouted.

But Ren was pleased. They seemed to have their plan ready.

"So all there is to do now is wait for those three to get back here with the money case and we can move up that way," said Ren, looking at the sky. It would be near mid-afternoon by the time they returned with the crate. How much time did they have before Akechi started probing up this way? This would all be for nothing if Akechi's men attacked before they were ready. "I'm worried about time. I'm worried Akechi is going to move on us before we are ready."

"Even one scout could be a problem if we don't spot him," said Makoto. "And even if we take him out, his absence will be as good as him reporting back."

"Maybe we can distract Akechi and all his men," said Futaba. "I could fly around in Prometheus. Higher than guns could shoot."

Ren envisioned Futaba's odd black ball persona flying through the sky. It would look something like a balloon, he supposed. What would Akechi make of it? He would recognize it, surely. It would probably just aggravate him and help him figure out where they were. Plus it would separate Futaba from the group.

"No, I think that would have the opposite effect, Futaba."

"Otohime," said Haru.

They turned their heads to regard her.

"She might help us," Haru continued. "She said she was going to use her power to fight for justice, and she knows Shido's faction is bad..."

"It would make a good test of her, anyway." said Makoto. Her thoughts on Otohime were made clear to everyone last night.

"Never hurts to ask!" said Ann.

Ren didn't see any reason to disagree. He took out his phone and selected Otohime from his contacts. It rang. Rang again. Someone answered but did not speak.

"Ms. Otohime?" said Ren.

"Mr. Mackerel? So-… I assume you already know… we are experiencing a sudden boom in tourism from Tokyo."

"Yes. That's why I'm calling. We need your help."

"Help? I've already helped. Shido's men pulled guns when we didn't provide the money. They didn't survive the mistake. '

"We need more help. We need a distraction. Just an hour or two."

Otohime sighed. "My territory is occupied. He has more guns than I do. My freedom of movement is somewhat limited. What else do you expect from an old woman?"

"I expect you to do as you promised."

Silence. Then she sighed again. "Do you have a specific request? Or do I have to figure it out myself?"

Ren realized he didn't have any specific request, but then he thought back to what they'd overheard down on the resort road.

"Yes. Shido's faction plans to leave on a ship tonight."

"A ship… so that's what that thing is here for…"

"What thing?"

"The ship, obviously. An utterly audacious yacht. It arrived last night. I've never seen it before. But I'm sure it's related to Shido now… and you just need an hour or two of distraction, you say?"

Ren waited as Otohime seemed to be thinking it over.

"All right, Mr. Mackerel. I think I can get Shido's attention. But am I to expect more phone calls like this in the future?"

"We're both allies of justice, right? So that makes us allies, too."

"I'm overjoyed," said Otohime, dryly. "Don't get cooked, Mr. Mackerel."

The line went dead.

* * *

They waited in a state of tension for some time. Ren began to doubt the wisdom of sending the other three males off to get the money crate. He'd picked Yusuke and Ryuji due to physical strength, and Morgana for hearing- he felt guilty for not going himself. But he'd wanted to be in on the planning session.

However, now he was worried he'd made a fatal flaw in splitting up the team like that. He'd just assumed the mountain was neutral ground for now, since Akechi had moved his forces downward- or at least that's what they'd overheard. But in the end, the three came back safely- breathing heavily, and carrying the big case.

"Good work!" Ren said. "Morgana, can you scout us up to the top? We need to get to work, but we need to make sure the area is clear first."

"I just got back! Let me take a break!"

"Sorry, but every minute could count."

"Fine."

"Someone else can take a turn carrying this fucking thing, though!" said a sweaty Ryuji, dropping the money case into the dirt.

* * *

The hike to the ambush location was short, they were most of the way there already. The open training field was as they left it, and Morgana was confident no one was nearby. It seemed they were still alone on the mountain- or this part of it at least.

"Look," said Futaba, pointing out a rising black cloud in the distant air.

Ren approached the cliff edge and looked down upon the resort, the town, and the sea. A large yacht was in the harbor and it appeared to be burning on one end. They were but specks, but Ren thought there were some tiny boats driving around it, too. Otohime.

"You were right about her," said Makoto. "I'm glad."

"Me too."

It took an hour, but with their few tools and bare hands, they constructed Morgana's rut system in their trap zone, and they manicured the lip of the steep north slope to provide them the tiny gaps they required to see their enemy and fire their spells. All that was left was to set the bait.

Ren toyed with the idea of not sending the bait and just waiting here. Maybe Akechi would leave without them and they didn't need to risk their lives... No. Making Akechi angry and hasty was a part of their advantage, and he knew in his heart that Akechi wouldn't leave without finding them. Fate worked too hard to make this happen for that to be the case. The plan should go forward.

"Let's take a selfie everyone."

They gathered around the open money case, using the stacks of bills as props. They smiled and made goofy faces. Click.

Ren was amused by the photo, all of them holding the stacks of money looked delightfully cheeky. Akechi was going to go out of his mind. Ren wished he could see it. He brought up his call history and hovered his finger over his most recently received call. He sent the photo.

Sending failed.

Ren frowned. Hit retry.

Sending failed.

What?...

Then a sudden horrible realization struck him. Akechi destroyed the phone. This number was useless. He looked up, face feeling hot. He'd forgotten to tell them. He'd forgotten to tell himself. His friends looked at him quizzically.

"Akechi destroyed his phone. I can't send this photo to him."

Universal expressions of dismay.

"How do you know?" asked Makoto.

"I heard him do it. It was during the car chase. I forgot about it."

"But all our work!" complained Ryuji. "And we can't even draw him up here?"

Makoto looked frustrated, too, but her face became intensely thoughtful. "Well, there must be another way… Oh! Call Othime again. She's received calls from Akechi's people. She can send us numbers."

"Wouldn't that just be Akechi's number?" asked Ryuji.

"No, I don't think Otohime knows who he is. I bet it's someone else."

It was worth a shot. Still blushing, Ren dialed Otohime again. It rang. It rang. It rang. Damnit, Otohime! Pick up!

The line picked up. Yes!

"What is it this time, Mr. Mackerel?" came Otohime's irritated voice. "I already did what you asked. I'm not going to throw my family into the blender for you, you know? They have lives to redeem, too."

Ren hadn't thought about the fate of her reformed gangsters, but now wasn't the time to muse over it.

"Actually, I called to thank you. It was well done."

"You're welcome. Well- if that's all…"

"No! Wait."

"I knew it. What?"

"Can you send me the phone numbers from Shido's men? The ones who called you yesterday."

"No."

Ren's heart fell.

"I don't know how to do that," said Otohime, "These damn phones are such a headache. But I'll hand my phone to one of my young men to do it for me. They understand this silly technology. Oh, and Shido's people called me a few times recently, too. I'll tell him to forward those numbers as well. They are pretty angry about their little boat."

Ren felt relief spread through him.

"That's wonderful, Ms. Otohime. Thank you." He ended the call.

He looked at his friends who all seemed to be relaxing. They could tell from the conversation he had succeeded. He gave a sheepish thumbs up.

"Looking cool, Joker…" said Morgana.

Ren received the numbers. He sent the photo and their location to all of them. It was sure to get to Akechi. The sun was sinking faster now. It was close to 4 p.m., and he suspected Akechi would arrive in about an hour. So maybe the setting sun would work in their favor, too. Shining bright light on anyone hiking up towards them.

The Phantom Thieves were hovering around him. He looked at all the faces of his friends. Ren felt whole, complete, as if he was at the center of his universe. Everything that mattered to him was standing right here, and all of it was under threat.

"Be safe," he pleaded to them. "We win if we survive. Hold to each other. Stay close to your healer. And don't be distracted by the nature of our enemy. They are just shadows. Shadows with guns. We've faced worse. This is just a Palace. We have spells. We have healing. We have defenses. It's routine for us, right? We've done this plenty of times."

Everyone nodded. They were professionals. They didn't need a motivational speech. They knew their business. That's the frame of mind Ren wanted them in.

Yusuke started laughing.

Everyone looked at him.

"What's so funny, Yusuke?" said Ryuji.

"It's ironic," he said, between chuckles, "We spent all our time stealing treasures as the Phantom Thieves. Now, in this last battle with our arch-nemesis, we are defending one."


	18. Chapter 18

The sun spent an hour and a half sinking lower in the sky as the Phantom Thieves awaited the arrival of Alechi and his forces. Ren rested uneasily below the lip of the steep northern slope, watching the clearing and intermittently looking down the mountainside for some unforeseen rear flank attack. But the terrain below them was impassable as far as he could tell, but he was on edge for things unexpected.

To his right, Ryuji watched intently through his own little view rivet. Ren was impressed by his tenacity, as Ryuji's attention span was not exactly a strength. But with his life on the line- no, that wasn't it- with Ryuji's friend's lives on the line, the blond-haired young man was almost single-minded in his purpose. Ren turned in the other direction and stared off into empty air. The ridge curved back away to the right, so Haru was not directly visible to him.

But Ren knew she was just around that corner a little way, looking through a rut just like Ryuji was. Ren looked back through his own view rut and could clearly make out the bait of their trap, the plastic money case from Otohime. Morganna was not visible, but near it, crouched low in their rut-tunnel system that would allow him to move around that open area without being in the open himself.

Now that the moment was upon them, and since he had free time for his mind to wander, Ren began to worry. Here he and his friends were patiently waiting for their moment to surprise a group of fellow human beings and kill them. Was this not the darkness he had feared? The disregard for law- both social and religious? The self-assurance in their own justice, or in this case, their own self-defense. Self-defense they planned ahead of time, actively luring all these men to a prepared killing field. In self-defense. It was a creative use of the concept. Like 'pre-emptive strike', or 'retaliate first'. But that's where they were, in the grey land of doublespeak. Ren could blame fate all he wanted, but he knew in very real and direct ways, his own free will brought them to the top of this mountain.

Ren told his friends to treat the enemy like shadows. Dehumanize them. Don't consider that they might have living families awaiting their return. Parents, spouses, children. All of those distant people, blissfully unaware that their wayward loved one was probably, this very instant, climbing towards the sky, hunting a group of highschoolers for drug money- and that they were shortly to die for it.

If they viewed these people as things no different from the other strange creatures the Phantom Thieves killed in the old Metaverse, then they would not hesitate to attack when they needed to. Ren had pulled the trigger on the men down on the road, killing two people because he thought of them as tools, not humans. He idly wondered what Makoto's thoughts had been as she accelerated Johanna towards that first follow car. Had her mind needed to convince her heart? Or was saving them all the only consideration?

Well, if similar thinking could help his friends set aside their ethics for now, for this fight for their lives, so they could kill and survive... Ren favored it. Human or shadow, he'd rather they kill anything hiking up the mountain right now so that his friends might live. But would his friends ever forgive themselves for it? Would they forgive him? Would he forgive himself? If they survived, could they call themselves allies of justice without the memory of this day stinging them every time? Ren didn't know. He didn't even know if it mattered, but it seemed like it should, at least.

But the time of what-ifs and am-i-wrongs were long past. The sun was sinking on the world, and Ren knew in his soul that if he hesitated- If he doubted- If he desperately tried to find some last-minute-other-way… the sun would never rise for him or his friends again. So. If they had to send some corrupted fools to the long dark. So be it.

But where the hell were they?

* * *

Ann lay in thin grass and scraggly bushes. Two small boulders created a little viewport towards the south and west- where they expected Akechi's scouts to come from. She knew Makoto waited a distance behind her. Watching her through the viewing rut in the lip of the northern ridge while simultaneously keeping vigil on that side of the clearing where the main fight was to take place. Meanwhile, Yusuke was barely visible a goodly distance in the opposite direction and downhill- Ann could just see the side of his face. He was scrunched deep into a leafy bush and against two relatively thick trees. The ground here was uncooperative, but they'd managed to find some natural cover.

He was the tip of their line, and was exposed from both across the top of the mountain towards the resort and towards the long slopes east where they feared Akechi's flanking forces would approach. Ann was worried about him, but that was why she was here. Her healing abilities had saved the team on multiple occasions. She turned her attention to the assumed direction of their foe.

The entire area was wooded, so it was not easy to see very far, and Ann made sure to secure her hair behind her head in a single ponytail, not wanting her usual pigtails to stand out like a big platinum blond arrows pointing at her position.

Snap.

Ann froze. She looked at Yusuke in the distance. He seemed alert, too. He'd heard it.

Silence.

Ann roved her eyes through the woods, and after a time, spotted the scout. It was another of those grey-suited men, sunglasses on. He looked somewhat silly, creeping forward half-crouched through the woods, in a suit, his black tie dangling back and forth. But the pistol in his right hand was less silly. Ann wondered if he was alone. She didn't see anyone else yet, but it seemed unlikely this person would not have backup nearby at the very least.

Did Yusuke see? And no sooner had she wondered, a white stone of some sort shot through the air, hit the scout in the chest. The man jumped up, surprised, and stared at what just hit him.

"Hey! Someone just threw a snowball or something at me. They're here!"

Damn! Without going into Otohime's Palace, Yusuke hadn't had the chance to practice his spells nearly as much as she had. Ann realized everyone forgot that fact. They didn't consider that Yusuke's aim might still be off. But then another white thing streaked in and smashed into the scout's face. The man's sunglasses shattered, his head whipped back, and he collapsed to the ground in a limp pile.

POP! POP! POP!

Ann ducked her head instinctively, but heard no tell-tale signs that the gunshots were in her direction. He looked down hill and saw Yusuke plastered to the ground. Something knocked off chips of bark from the tree over him. Akechi's men must have seen where the last iceball came from.

POP! POP! POP!

They didn't seem interested in letting up. Ann split half her time looking at Yusuke and looking into the woods the gunshots were coming from. She still couldn't see any of the other attackers, they were hidden from her sight line.

POP! POP! POP!

She turned back to Yusuke. He was holding one of his legs. Ann could see something red. He'd been hit! Without hesitation, Ann moved forward out of cover towards him.

POP! POP! POP!

Things whizzed through the air past her. She dropped herself back to the forest floor. Stupid! Stupid! She forgot that soon? These were not shadows! She looked at Yusuke in the distance again. He was pale, watching her. He moved his hand from a high position to a low one. Stay down!

Then his persona misted into being and a patch of ice formed on the ground before Yusuke, and then it shot up the hill to just before Ann's face. It was like a long slide, she realized. She scooted forward onto the ace, the cold bitter on her chest through her clothing. And she shoved with her heels, sliding her way along the ground down to Yusuke. He caught her with a grunt.

"They don't even aim," he told her with a grimace, "They just shoot and shoot and hope to get you." He rolled over, trying to stay in cover but let Ann get at his leg. It seemed he took a round in the calf, pretty close to the heel. "It's a vulgar, sloppy tactic."

Ann looked at the wound. There was a hole on either side of Yusuke's fleshy calf. The young went right through. Futaba's defensive augments were not working. Why? Wait. How far from Futaba were they? Ann's blood ran cold. She didn't know. They hadn't measured. How did one measure a meter without a ruler, anyway?

"Carmen. Dia," said Ann and Yusuke hissed in breath as the hole in hit leg knitted itself together.

"Yusuke, we are out of range of Futaba!" she hissed.

"That explains it," said Yusuke, way too calm for Ann's liking.

A voice in the woods: "I see them! Behind that tree cluster!"

POP! POP! POP!

Ann and Yusuke flattened themselves again, face to face in the dirt and grass.

"This is not going well," said Yusuke.

* * *

Echoes of gunshots came from the east where Yusuke and Ann were guarding the flank. Ren lay still and worried. The clearing was still empty. The trap remained unsprung. Then the east went quiet, the last gunshot fading away.

The elimination of the scouts was supposed to be a silent affair, but he supposed such an ideal outcome was unrealistic. Though his friends were over there in danger for the lives, that was part of their strategy. Ren forced himself to accept it. He had to trust to them. He had to wait to spring this trap when Akechi moved up his main force.

Besides, the east was quiet now. Perhaps Ann and Yusuke silenced the scouts.

As if to taunt Ren's growing worries, gunshots again began ringing out from the east.

It's okay, he told himself, this was right. This was according to the plan.

* * *

Ann's heart was beating loudly in her chest, she felt the blood coursing around her face. She heard bullets streak through the thicket she was hiding behind, snapping twigs and hissing through the air. She hugged the dirt as close as she could.

This wasn't right. This wasn't how it was supposed to be going. There were too many enemies here. The plan was to withstand some small flanking attempt by the enemy. But there seemed to be dozens of people out there, judging by the number and angles of incoming gunshots.

Yusuke was also staying low- his face calm, intense, but very pale. He was arching his head back and forth, trying to see where enemies might be without raising his head too far. Both of them seemed utterly unable to mount a safe counter attack. They needed to see something to cognitize at, but the enemy could just fire in their general direction and hope to get lucky. It was keeping them entirely suppressed.

Ann battled against herself, trying to keep her emotions in check. But this was insane! There were too many, and they all had guns! Shadows were so much safer to deal with as they came in fewer numbers at a time. And attacking was more difficult. If she could see her targets, they could shoot her, too! But- it's not like she could keep hiding! Ann grimaced at herself. Anyone she let get by this spot could kill one of her friends. But. But- she didn't want to kill anyone. She didn't want to burn anyone.

A bullet whizzed by her hair- very close.

Ann's face became grim. But if it meant her friends would live, she would cook anyone she had to. She looked to Yusuke. He seemed to be getting an idea. He was looking intently at the copse of trees and bushes they were hiding behind.

"Goemon. Bufu," said Yusuke. And the thicket froze. A thick layer of ice building between the branches.

The sounds of gunfire intensified, but the crunching sound of breaking ice punctuated it, but the scarier whizzings of near misses stopped for the moment as the barrier took the brunt of the assault. Yusuke cautiously raised himself up to look at his ice construction.

"It's no good. I'd hoped we could look through the ice and attack, but they shot it already. The damage from the bullets ruins the clarity," said Yusuke, a bit of frustration in his voice. He glanced back at Ann. "We seem in a precarious position,"

"We need to get out of here," Ann said, fully aware of her own shaky voice. 'This isn't some flanking attack. This is the attack. There are too many for just the two of us."

"I agree," Yusuke turned to her, his grey-blue eyes intense. "I'll try to move that way, and I'll cover you to follow, yes? We'll move back towards Ren and the others to keep the line secure."

Ann nodded. Yusuke moved. But as soon as he left the cover of the thicket, gunshots rang out, Yusuke's head jerked sideways and Ann saw red and white shoot from his mouth. Yusuke grunted in an odd way and reversed himself, breathing heavily and gargling. His head turned back towards her, a significant portion of his mandible was mangled brutally, the bone around his chin was devastated, and blood was pouring in amongst destroyed teeth.

"Yusuke!" She had to heal him!

She reached forward, but more shots rang out, ice cracked, and the whistling of bullets returned. Something stung her right hand and slapped it sideways. She gasped in shock. She stared at her hand, her smallest two fingers were dangling by a thread of sinew, blood pouring out from amidst the gore- pain and shock rolled through her mind. She screamed instinctually.

"You must have got one of them," said a voice. "The girl freaked."

"Keep pushing around. We need to get her, too."

They really wanted them dead. And Yusuke's face! They wouldn't even give her time to fix him! Inexcusable! Insufferable! ...Vermin! That's right! They were just vermin! No one felt bad about killing vermin! And she didn't need to look at them. She just had to burn it all. Burn it all. That's right! Just. Burn. Everything.

She snatched Yusuke to her chest, holding him close, feeling his blood drip onto her collarbone.

"Hecate!" Ann screeched. "Blazing Hell!"

* * *

FWOOOM!

Ren whipped his head to the east. A huge fireball was rolling into the sky. Men were screaming in the distance. Ann. That was a huge attack, which meant the enemy must be thick over there. And just based on the terrain alone, Ann and Yusuke were the least dug in of them all. The stoney ground was hard to work with.

Over there in the woods…

The woods that wrapped around the clearing…

Ren looked back at the empty killing field. He abruptly realized no one was going to march over the open ground at them. The enemy were humans. Not shadows. A shadow would attack and die with almost mechanical loyalty. A human generally wanted to live. No one was stepping into that trap. And by process of elimination, Akechi's men must have deduced where the Phantom Thieves must be, so they attacked through the obvious cover. Around the rim, through the forest. The main attack was on the flank.

Ren's gut tightened. It was obvious. For all their confidence, they'd been fools. Hifumi's disclaimer that she was a shogi player was accurate. Shogi did not have terrain. The mountain did. Shogi pieces did not have common sense like: maybe I should not walk out into the open... Akechi's men did. The Phantom Thieves had no training about modern combat tactics. Akechi's men did. Ren realized that the Phantom Thieves might very well be dying tonight from a fatal case of naivete. And it would be his fault.

Ren saw flashes of light appear in the dark trees across the field.

...Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!...

Bullets whizzed over Ren's head and others embedded in the dirt of the ridge line. No way he could have been seen. They could not hope to hit him, but they were firing anyway? What was the point? ...Except to keep his attention and keep him occupied. Ren realized his position was being suppressed. Akechi's men directly across were trying to pin the ambush team and distract them from the attack on the east flank. Ann's firestorm had alerted everybody involved that the jig was up.

He needed to get down the line to Ann and Yusuke. But they could not abandon the objective entirely. He turned to his right. "Ryuji!"

"What?!"

...Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!...

"Keep an eye on the money and Morgana! The main attack is on the flank!"

"Fuck! Okay! Go!"

...Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!...

Ren navigated the steep mountainside around the edge. Akechi's men didn't seem to care about ammunition. They kept firing away in a steady rhythm.

Haru was here, still cautiously looking through her viewing rut. Ren could see dirt puffing up from rounds that hit the ridge lip above her head.

...Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!...

"Haru!" He gesticulated for her to move ahead of him along the line to the east. "The attack is from the east! We need to help Ann and Yusuke!"

"Right!"

...Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!...

Haru and Ren passed Futaba, chanting with her eyes closed. She was a way down from the lip. She was as safe as any of them right now. Het let her be.

The trees of their east flank loomed over them now, and most of them were on fire. Makoto was missing from her position.. Concern surged through Ren, but he suppressed it. Knowing Makoto, she'd already figured out what Ren figured out, and she was probably in the forest looking to aid Ann and Yusuke already- probably feeling as profoundly guilty as Ren was over their poor planning.

Ren's mind whirled. What to do? What to do? Stop! Calm down! Calm… He needed the flank team back, but he couldn't abandon Makoto's position either. Ryuji and Morgana did not have sight of this side of the clearing. And while Ren didn't think anyone planned to charge across the field, they could not leave it undefended. Between him and Haru- Haru was the most useful. She was capable of multiple attack types and the best single attack defense. If anyone could hold this side of the field alone, it would be her.

"Haru! I need you to hold this spot and be ready to cover us coming back in. I'm going after the others."

She was wide-eyed and flushed. But her jaw was tight with determination. "Ok!"

Ren flung himself over the ridge lip, rolled, and sprinted the short distance to the forest. Bullets whizzed past him, but he was untouched. Ren's heart pounded in his chest as took cover behind a small group of trees- he prayed for lots more luck like that.

* * *

Makoto pushed deeper into the burning woods. She'd moved in the moment Ann's firestorm dissipated. If Ann used that spell, there were lots of enemies for her to use it on. Makoto was confident Ren would make the same conclusion. They'd been fools and the real attack was here. He would handle the line behind her, so she'd left her own position immediately to support Ann and Yusuke.

But she was about where Ann should be, and no Ann. Just charred wood. And a crawling man in a burned suit. He looked up at she spotted him. His eyes went wide.

Makoto's mouth opened slightly, a spell on her lips.

"No! Don't. Please." the man rolled over slightly, exposing his chest and his strangely unburned yellow tie. "I surrender! I'll leave! Just don't burn me like the others!"

Makoto hesitated at the look of abject terror in the man's face. She was taking a risk, but what kind of person would kill someone like this in cold blood? Makoto cautiously looked around the woods. With the exception of flames, nothing was moving. She looked back at the yellow-tied man. "Do you have any weapons?"

"No! I swear!'

Makoto half-believed him. He looked too genuinely terrified to be lying, but one could never be too sure. She didn't have time for this. There could be more of Akechi's men nearby- ones still with fight in them. What should she do? Kill this man? It was the only way to be sure. This was like Otohime again, but the man's abject fear made it feel totally different. It would be such a cold-blooded killing. He was defenseless. It wouldn't be just. It would evil. What would Sae do? What would her father do? He was a policeman. He never would execute defenseless people, even if they were terrible criminals.

"Go."

The yellow-tied man struggled to his feet. "Thank you!" He stumbled off into the burning woods, off to the northeast. Presumably away from both Akechi and the ambush zone. Makoto watched long enough to make sure he didn't plan to spin on her and attack, then she continued her search for Ann and Yusuke. The fire seemed to have originated from a central point- all the burn damage seemed to point a certain way. Makoto headed that way.

* * *

Ren advanced into the burning and charred woods, seeking his three companions. Gunfire was still sporadic back in the direction of the clearing. Though it was hard to pick out the gunshots from the cracking and popping of burning live wood- that heated steam of the plant's internal juices exploding out through hard wood and bark.

He was moving cautiously, but after about thirty meters, he still didn't see any of his friends. This is where Ann should have been in position, but there was no sign of her. Ren looked left and right, seeking some clue. Nothing but charred woods. But in looking around, he realized all the burn damage seemed to point in the same direction. If the fire came from Ann, that was probably the best place to go look. Ren moved.

POP! Thunk!

A bullet hit a tree just as Ren stepped behind it.

"Come out, kid! I don't want to kill you. If you give us what we want, you can go home."

Ren froze behind the tree. He didn't believe that one, but he might be able to use the ruse.

Ren adjusted his voice to sound unsure and weak. "Home? I want to go home. I want mom and dad."

"Then come out and help us. I promise you'll go back to them."

"Okay. Do you promise you won't hurt me? I'll come out."

"Yeah. I promise, kid. Super promise. Come out."

Ren stuck out his right hand. Waved it up and down. It didn't draw bullets at least. "I'm here. I'm gonna come out. Don't be surprised. Don't shoot, okay?"

"Yeah. Okay. Come out, already!"

Ren withdrew the hand slowly. Then launched himself to the left and downhill. As he emerged from behind the tree, he saw the grey suited man about 10 meters from him, near a tree of his own, pointing a gun at where Ren's hand used to be. The man's mouth opened in surprise and the gun started swaying towards Ren.

"Arsene! Eigaon!"

The man screamed. A body fell.

Ren landed heavily on the ground, his hip catching a tree root, and his arms catching himself on something hot, crispy, and juicy. He looked over. He'd fallen on a charred body. His hands had stripped off some burnt skin from the corpse, revealing bright red cooked meat. Ren frantically rolled away, but the skin tore and stuck to him. With uncontrollable shivers, he frantically scraped himself clean on a charred tree.

It was one of Ann's… victims? No. That wasn't the word to use. Attacker. It was one of Ann's attackers. A defeated one… a cooked one… Ren stood back up. He looked around him and saw over twenty corpses, smoking and ruined. The smell was acrid and thick, his stomach rolled.

Is this good? Ren wondered. Is this bad? His mind fought to drift off down arguments for both sides

"Joker!" came a familiar voice, calling Ren back out of his own mind.

He snapped his head around and spotted Makoto downhill from him, crouched near a large stone. Ann and Yusuke were both looking at him from behind her, their faces worried and drawn, but apparently healthy. Ren felt like his world just came out of winter- they were alive. Everything was going horribly wrong, but they were all still alive. That was something. That was winning, as far as he was concerned.

"We need to get back to the ridge!" said Makoto in a harsh whisper.

"Yes."

Then Ren saw Makoto's, Ann's, and Yusuke's eyes suddenly shift slightly away from him, their faces went pale, their mouth's opening in the start of a warning- Ren realized they were looking behind him. He spun.

"Ren!" they shouted.

He turned to see a man in a burned suit and yellow tie. He was near the body of the man Ren just killed, and he was just standing up, gun in hand. He'd scavenged the weapon from his dead comrade. The gun pointed at Ren. He adjusted his weight to jump aside, feeling it was already too late.

POP!

Ren felt a punch in his left chest. His throat constricted as air sucked down into his throat, which felt like a stab inside his body. He wanted to inhale again, but the pain stopped him.

"REN!"

"Arsene," his voice was a strained whisper, his mind a vision of a desiccated corpse. "Eigaon!"

It was enough. The yellow-tied man's skin shriveled, as if he were hollowing out, and then it went black. Eyes wide with fear, the yellow-tired man keeled over and joined the dead.

Ren's legs gave way. He dropped to his knees. He wheezed. He'd felt this before. This was a lung. This sucked- but honestly, that spear last year was a lot worse. He gasped again, then gasped from the pain, which caused even more pain. Fuck. This sucked, too, though.

"Huurk," he said, the sound leaking out of him. He collapsed himself behind a tree, trying to get in a spot that would protect anyone coming to heal him.

That person was Makoto. She skidded into the dirt in front of him, her leggings tearing on stones. "Ren, move your arm! Let me see!"

He obliged. She tugged open his shirt aggressively, sending new pain through his chest. "Heehh-aggh!" He complained, but she ignored him.

"The bullet is inside," Makoto said to herself. "A lung." Her eyes glazed over slightly as she seemed to imagine something inside her mind.

"Anat! Diarama!"

Ren watched an oddly robotic figure flicker into being behind Makoto and then mist away, leaving behind a green smoke which funneled down into Ren's chest. He felt something digging its way out from inside him. He screamed silently, lacking the air to do it loudly, surprised by the agony. It was like a shard of glass moving through the inside of his chest. Then the pain vanished entirely and something metallic rolled down his chest and bounced off his stomach. He looked down, breathing heavily. A damaged bullet was laying in the charred earth.

"It worked…" sighed Makoto, eyes closing briefly in relief.

"Of course it did," said Ren, "Why wouldn't it?"

"Don't be so nonchalant!" Makoto's eyes blazed at him. Ren moved his head back in surprise as Makoto yelled directly into his face. "What if it hit your head? What if I couldn't cognitize the heal correctly? Would it work? We don't know enough!"

She calmed slightly and her head drooped. "Ren, I made a mistake. I met that man. The one with the yellow tie. A few minutes ago. He was unarmed, and I let him go. Then he shot you. It's my fault. I made a mistake."

"I'm fine," Ren said, putting his hands to Makoto's shoulders. "I would have done the same thing."

Would I?

"Would you?" Makoto looked at him seriously, wide-eyed, feverish. "Yesterday, you crippled a man you just_ suspected_ of being a threat. I _knew_ this man wanted us dead, but I let him go. And I could have paid for that with your life!" She shook her head. Tears glistening in the corners of her crimson eyes. "I'll never make the same mistake again! Never!"

Ren's mind ground to a halt. Makoto was equating mercy with a mistake. And he couldn't think of anything to say to change that. But it was certainly-

"You two!" shouted Yusuke, shaking Ren out of his introspection. "We need to go!"

"Yes, of course," said Makoto, wiping her eye and standing.

Ren followed her to his feet. Yes, this was a worry for another time. This may have been Akechi's main attack force, but he still had his suppressive force- and perhaps reserves they'd not yet seen. There was no telling how many enemies were still out there. This wasn't over, but the light was fading. The day was almost done.

They started making their way cautiously back towards their line.

"Ren," said Ann quietly.

"Yeah?"

"How many were there?"

"How many?"

"People. How many died?"

Ren looked at her- her pale blue eyes were deep with concern, worry, self-doubt. It actually made Ren feel better to see that. Not because his friend was hurting, but because if Ann could worry about that, she was sure to be okay in the end. Ren was full of doubts, but they were not to be shared. Especially not now. They needed Joker. Not Ren.

"None," said Joker.

"What?"

"You and Yusuke are still alive. No one died. Thanks to you."

Ann didn't respond. But her expression regained its determination.

A distant voice cried out: "Astarte! Triple Shot!"

Haru!

They broke into a run.


	19. Chapter 19

Haru watched Ren leap out onto the flat ground, draw gunfire, but make it to the forest unharmed. She sighed in relief. She was angry at herself for not giving him a defensive shield before he moved. But he'd moved so suddenly, he surprised her. Ren was eager to recollect his team. As a leader herself, Haru understood that- but he was lucky, in any case.

Haru waited in silence for a time. Diligently watching the field while listening with hope for the return of her four friends. She was getting tired of this waiting- this tension. Knowing her friends were in danger was agonizing, but she had a job to do. Ren gave her an important job, and she would see it done. She was a leader of a company, and she knew what a good subordinate was supposed to do. CEO Okumura Haru liked good subordinates. People who accepted their role in the hierarchy and moved towards the big picture together with the leader. So Noir wanted to be a good subordinate to Joker, since he was like their CEO.

But still, she would rather be in those woods looking for her friends. But Ryuji was off to the north in his position still. So was Morgana. So was Futaba. She understood she could not leave this spot undefended or the others could be surprised and killed.

Pop! - a gunshot in the distance.

"Ren!" cried a distant voice. Haru thought it was Makoto's.

Haru's heart leapt into her throat. What was happening? She waited for long moments, but heard nothing else.

Then six men in grey suits moved into her vision amidst the smoke-swirled edge of the woods. Time slowed for Haru as Akechi's men staggered out of the forest, coughing. They didn't know she was here. They didn't know where they were, except for being out of the smoke. They'd wandered into the field while trying to get to fresh air. Right in front of her position.

She hesitated. Watching the living, coughing human beings gather their bearings. Then her eyes focused on the guns they were all holding. These were enemies. These were people who wanted to hurt her. Hurt her friends. Haru's teeth clenched unconsciously, her lips drawing into an instinctual snarl. Haru was tired of being hurt. Her father died because of these people. She'd been gored in the head yesterday. She'd been shot earlier today. She was done hurting. She was done bleeding. It wasn't her turn anymore. It wasn't her friend's turns either.

Her eyes narrowed on the six men. Most of her vision went dark, her focus so intent on those six men with guns that her view of the world tunneled onto just them. It was their turn! It was their turn to hurt! It was their turn to bleed! It was only fair!

"Astarte!" She yelled. "Triple-Shot!"

BUH-BUH-BOOM!

Her persona's weaponry fired over her head, glowing tracer rounds shooting out at the men. A head popped, a shoulder twisted, a knee gave way. Three people hit the grass, two of them screaming in pain. One silent and still. The other three standing men looked to Haru's position, then turned to flee.

Haru watched them turn, her vision going blurry from the tears in her eyes. But she could still see them. Gasping sobs came out her mouth. Sorry. I'm sorry. But it's your turn. It's your turn.

"Ta-Ta-Ta... Triple-Shot!"

BUH-BUH-BOOM!

Three more men fell. Only one of these screaming. So of the six, three were silent and still, and three men were screaming, crawling on the grass, bleeding.

"Tru-...Triple-Shot!"

BUH-BUH-BOOM!

Silence.

Haru slowly got her breathing back under control, her throat starting to loosen as the sobbing faded away. She stared at the dead men in the field. She sucked in air through her nose, trying to get the snot under control. She wiped her nose with the back of her wrist and then cleaned it on the grass near her.

Sorry. But that's how it is, you bastards. Come after me or my loved ones, and it will always be your turn.

Trust me.

* * *

Ren and the others paused at the edge of the woods. There were six bodies laying in the field nearby. How many more men could Akechi have? He would have to be running short by now. Ren looked to the far side of the clearing. The box was still there. It seemed despite everything, their trap remained unsprung and the bait unmolested.

"You're all okay! Thank goodness!" came Haru's shaky voice, but she didn't poke her head out. She must be looking at them through one of her view-ruts. They'd really done a good job with those rut, Ren thought. A real stroke of genius.

"Allow me," said Yusuke. "Susano-o! Bufulu!"

His persona misted into being and an ice wall, several inches thick, quickly formed. It provided a short barrier between the woods and the safety of the steep ridge where Haru waited.

Pop! Pop! Pop!

Bullets smashed against the ice and it began spider-webbing.

"Quickly!" said Yusuke, and led the crouch run over the short clearing and down into the safety of the northern ridge.

"So they haven't given up," said Ann.

"Maybe they can't," said Makoto. "We've done a lot of damage. I think Akechi knows he's lost more men than he expected. He might have needed the money to pay his men or something before, but now I bet he needs it to rebuild."

Ren liked the sound of that. So, the stakes were higher for Akechi, now. And still no sign of magic from Mr. Crow. He must be tearing his hair out over there, trying to figure out how the Phantom Thieves were doing this to his men. Ren wished he could hear him. See his face.

He turned to Haru. "What happened with those men in the grass?"

Haru's eyes went wide and glistened. But then her jaw set. "The smoke drove them from the woods over there. So I attacked them."

Ren was not very surprised. It was as he thought: Haru, the chocolate-covered rock.

"Good work," said Joker.

Haru nodded soberly.

Ren looked through the view-rut at the dead men. The smoke drove them out, huh. He leaned to where he could see the other side of the clearing. The suppressive gunfire stopped a while back, he assumed. They didn't have infinite ammunition over there. But Ren suspected the last core of Akechi's forces, and Akechi himself, were hiding amidst the early evening shadows in those trees. And they still had enough bullets to kill Ren and the others if they made any mistakes.

Smoke them out… It gave Ren an idea.

Joker said: "Ann, follow me. Yusuke, stay here with Haru. Makoto, you're their healer."

Everyone agreed to the tone of his voice.

He lead Ann back along the ridge, and this time tapped Futaba on the shoulder. Her chanting stopped.

"Is it over?" her voice was crackly. She looked tired.

"Not yet. But I need you for an offensive boost now. Come with us."

That perked her up. Futaba liked the concept of offense. It wasn't something she got to do herself. Her excitement made Ren a little nervous, actually, but he didn't see the need to damage morale by calling the younger girl on it. He continued on to Haru's old position. The sea below them was easily visible here. Thick clouds were bubbling in the near distance, the sun half submerged in the ocean, the far sky turning purple. Perhaps an approaching storm front was coming in those clouds. That was good. It would make him feel less guilty about what they were about to do.

He looked through the view-rut. The woods across the way was where he'd seen most of the muzzle lights of suppressive gunfire. He turned to the two young woman waiting on the hillside with him.

"The firestorm you unleased over in east was great, Ann- but most of the trees only charred and the remaining flames had trouble burning through the live wood. Which was fine. But I want you to burn down the woods over there, too. We're going to smoke Akechi out, and force him to pick between retreating, or going for the cash. And if Makoto's right, he should choose the cash."

"Okay…"

"Futaba, I need you to charge up our spells with your offensive augment."

"Okay."

"And I'm going to kill all the trees first. I'll wither them, so they should go up like firewood for your spells, Ann."

Ann nodded in understanding.

Then something nagged at Ren's mind. "Actually, let me give Ryuji an update real quick. Wait here."

He traveled around the corner, found Ryuji still diligently watching the prize box. He told them the news and their plan.

"For real? Brutal!" he said, appreciatively. "I'm ready. Let's end this shit!"

Ren went back to Futaba and Ann. "Ready?"

They nodded.

Ren turned to the view-rut and looked at all the forest across the field. "Okay, go Futaba."

She started her chanting. Ren imagined all the trees he could see dead and dry. A draught. An apocalyptic wasteland. "Arsene. Mariha" It was the lightest of his multi-target curse spells, but he envisioned lots of trees. He felt a surge of power run through him, a weight of fatigue settling slightly on his shoulders.

Color was getting iffy to see. The sky was darkening as the sun was in its final sink into the distant ocean. A cloud system was on the way in, blocking much of the light, and the smoke from Ann's earlier fire drifted in the area. Even so, the trees notably browned under the impact of Ren's spell. He moved out of the way so Ann could see through the view-rut.

"Hecate! Maragi!"

A scattering of fireballs shot over the field, like fireflies- but angry ones. They scattered in the wind slightly and landed in the now dry leaves and needles of the forest canopy. Flames flickered lightly. A gust of wind surged the flames upward. In a matter of moments, the top of the forest was aflame, and the heat was rapidly pushing the blaze downwards, as a cycle of heated air began to circulate currents of air through the forest.

They watched the developing blaze with awe. Ren's paranoia over their own corruption was growing strong roots tonight. Individually, their powers were frightening, but two of them working together just set a mountain afire in mere seconds. The symbiosis of their powers in various combinations like this could be astounding- and devastating. He worried that all of this… this… moment in their lives, this rediscovery of themselves; it was just the top step of the onsen, where the shallow water was. The deep pool of heat was ahead. Waiting to consume them.

Ren shook that chain of thoughts off. Their most dangerous enemy yet remained. Akechi and his men over there would not be able to remain into those woods for long. Assuming of course Akechi was with them, but Ann's original idea was sound: Akechi would not trust his underlings with a big crate of money. He would be here to oversee its capture. He had to be over there. But did he have his persona? Could he cast spells yet? And if he couldn't, when would he figure it out?

Akechi was more than a match for any single member of the Phantom Thieves. He was quicker of wit than Makoto, stronger of persona than Ren's glory days (back when he could use personas other than Arsene), and charismatic to boot. But in the end, he'd been defeated by the Phantom Thieves working together, both intellectually, and in battle. (Though Akechi was now claiming he let them win.) Regardless, Akechi's individual power was his greatest weakness. Since he was also two-faced, treacherous, and self-centered: he made no friends, gained no true allies, and lacked conviction outside of himself.

Therefore Akechi was, and would forever be, the exact sum of his parts. Meanwhile, the collective strength of the Phantom Thieves was exponential. In the end, Shido's power network was all that Akechi had going for him in this contest, and the Phantom Thieves were on the verge of stripping the last vestiges of that cloak away.

The fire spread, creeping slowly towards the cliff face.

"I'm going back to my old position, you take this rut, Ann."

He left her and Futaba and worked back around the hill. Ryuji turned his head briefly to check who was coming, then returned to his vigil over the money case. Ren was settling himself in when Ryuji grunted.

"Here they come! Finally!"

Ren looked through his view-rut. Ten men in grey suits were running from the far north side of the woods, the section closest to both the cliff and the money case. And amongst those ten men… a leaner figure in tan jacket and white pants. Akechi! Finally! After all this time. They were running quickly, perhaps looking to snatch the money while the Phantom Thieves were watching the fire, and then get out with the prize before the fire cut them off from their path back down the mountain.

"Let Morgana spring the trap, Ryuji. Then hit whatever is left with everything you have."

"Right!"

Akechi and his men reached the money case. Akechi and another man lifted it up. Then they were suddenly blown into the air along with four other men. Ren heard screams of surprise. Akechi maintained his grip on the heavy case, spinning in an unseen wind, before landing back on the grass, still holding on. His five goons were not as lucky with an anchor. They sailed off into thin air and fell out of sight, their screams of terror fading quickly away as they plummeted to the resort below.

Ren set his sights on the five armed goons that remaining standing. They pointed their guns at the ground near them and started firing.

POP! POP! POP!

Morgana!

"Captain Kidd! Maziodyne!

"Arsene! Maeigaon!"

Lightning crackled across the field- the gunmen tensed and convulsed. Their skin went black and then seemed to burst in small bits of flame, suddenly dry and flammable in the electric current. They collapsed to a man, smoking and twitching. It was overkill. Ryuji and Ren killed them twice over.

Meanwhile, Ren saw Akechi escape alone back amongst the trees- the abandoned money case still laying in the grass. It was two heavy for one person. A small black cat head poked out from the ground and watched Akechi disappear. Ren was relieved Morgana was fine. Apparently those ruts had given him enough cover.

He heard scuffling to his left. He turned to find the rest of the team working their way along the ridgeline, Makoto in the lead. Her crimson eyes intense.

"What happened?"

"Akechi sprung the trap, but he escaped. I think we got the last of his men, though."

"What now?

Ren looked back towards the woods. Did he wait and let the fire take Akechi? Maybe give him time to escape in the process? Or did they go after him into woods that might hide more of Akechi's gunmen? He thought about the danger of Akechi's knowledge. His vindictiveness. His willingness to murder. No. He refused to let Akechi get away. After all of this? No. This needed to end now. Tonight.

Ren turned to Makoto. "Let's get over there. Let's ride Johanna. Let's get the bastard."

She looked at him seriously. Nodded. "Okay, but we can't sit in the open up there and get on. We'll jump on here and I'll jump us over. Johanna's hood will protect us the rest of the way."

Ren remembered her summoning the motorcycle as she jumped out the van earlier today. "Okay. What do I do?"

"Grab my waist, and when I say jump, you jump with your legs wide.. We can't fall back down this hillside though, so I'm going to gun it as soon as the wheels touch the slope."

"Right." He bent over to wrap his arms tightly over Makoto's lithe waistline.

"Wait!" said Haru.

Ren turned to look at her, bent over awkwardly and grabbing Makoto's waist.

"Let me protect you both this time!" she said, mouth drawn in a determined frown. "Astarte! Tetracarn! Tetracarn!" He persona flickered and faded. Ren recognized it as the bullet-blocking spell she used in the car chase.

"Good thinking, Haru," said Makoto. Then she turned and looked down at Ren. "Ready?"

"Yes."

"Now!"

They jumped together, Ren's face knocking into Makoto's back, but just as he was sure his feet were going to hit the ground, his front buttocks hit a seat-cushion, and a bit of hard fuselage knocked into his tailbone. And his feet didn't seem to have anywhere to hook onto. There were no passenger foot pegs on Johanna.

VROOM!

Ren felt all his body weight shoot behind him as the bike shot up the steep slope like a rocket taking off. He gripped as hard as he could around Makoto, the only thing holding him on the bike. If Makoto felt his weight or pull at all, Ren couldn't tell by the feel of her body. She was as steady as if she were fused to Johanna and she was just another part of the motorcycle's frame.

They were airborne, Ren's body super-manning behind them, legs and feet flailing. They landed hard onto the grassy field. Ren's nose crunched into Makoto's back and his body slammed onto the back fender as the bike bounced from its landing, his groin taking some of the blow. "Awwwgh!' Icy pain shot up from his balls into his lower gut and down into his upper thighs. Fuck me! Johanna was not made for two! He ignored the pain and regained his mount as they sped across the small field, eating up the grassy clearing at a rapid pace.

"Keep your head down!" yelled Makoto- she herself was bent way down and under Johanna's front canopy. It was the stance that she'd taken to drive right through two sedans like a knife. Ren mimicked her, keeping his head just under her left armpit.

Two lights flashed in the dark forest in front of them. Muzzle blasts. Akechi had two men left, apparently.

Pop. Pop. -the sounds faint over Johanna's roaring engine.

Sparks from two impacts flashed off the motorcycles canopy and Johanna charged onward, unfazed and unaffected. They would need to move a bit to the right and enter the forest from a safer position. But then Makoto steered directly for the source of the gun shots. "Varja Blast!"

A section of small trees flattened. Ren just caught sight of a grey suited man being buried under the narrow trunks. Then Johanna rolled over where he went down. If the man screamed, Ren didn't hear it. But the forest was thick here, and Makoto was already turning and skidding to a stop, Ren holding against the g-forces with all his strength. They stopped.

POP!

Sparks flashed from beside Makoto's head, Haru's earlier protective spell expending itself to save Makoto's life. Fear and rage shot through Ren as his head whipped to the source.

"Arsene! Eigaon!

"Johanna! Varja Blast!"

The doomed man began shriveling, and then was flung backward into the woods, striking a boulder wetly before falling out of view.

Ren and Makoto hastily dismounted and used Johanna as cover against the cliff-side portion of the forest, the narrow space where they were sure Akechi was hiding. Ann's forest fire was in front of them, but still a distance away. Ren looked at Makoto, she was breathing a bit heavily.

"Remind me to thank Haru," said Makoto, "This may have been a bit hasty."

"It worked. Let's get this done."

Makoto nodded.

They both looked cautiously over Johanna's frame. They saw no one and drew no more gunshots. Ren moved out to the left, Makoto to the right. Ren moved up till he found a thick tree to pause at. He looked right and nodded at Makoto, covering her advance.

Makoto moved up, walking past the trampled trees they'd used to enter the woods. The buried man was pulling himself out from under the debris. His hands were empty. He must have lost his gun.

"Anat! Varja Blast!"

The man's head smashed into the ground with an audible crack and he lay still. Makoto moved on without a second glance. Ren's mouth opened with shock, but then he closed it with a click of teeth. It wasn't the time to think about that. It was time to deal with Akechi. He looked for his next cover, and moved while Makoto watched him from her side.

Ren rounded a copse of thin trees and found Akechi. He was standing half-behind a tree which was just at the edge of the cliff. Akechi already had a gun pointing right at him.

POP!

Haru's defensive spell sparked as the bullet bounced away. Ren went limp, letting himself fall.

POP!

He felt something shoot past an ear. He hit the ground and rolled.

POP!

Something thumped into the dirt near him. Then Ren was behind the trees again.

POP!

A woody thunk.

"How are you doing it, Amamiya?!"

POP!

"How do you all have your fucking powers?!"

POP!

Ren realized that both Yusuke and Futaba had guns, and he'd forgotten to get one of them. Damnit! He drew his machete from his pants. (He'd shoved it into his pocket and let it tear out the other side, forming a sort of sheath) but it was unlikely he would get in range to use the blade. A curse spell would do just fine anyway.

There was the sound of running feet. Makoto was moving up on her side.

POP!

Makoto yelled in pain.

Electric ice shot through Ren's body. He'd heard Makoto yell in pain many times over the last year- their battles in the Metaverse were always dangerous- but it always triggered this feeling in him. A protective instinct that could make him behave stupidly, and Makoto would usually get angry with the result. She was not one to be coddled. But right now, she was shot, surely bleeding, perhaps seriously. Healers needed to get to her as soon as possible, or she needed time to heal herself. Ren could not allow Akechi to watch over the area, gun in hand.

Ren's sense of time slowed, his vision became a tunnel. He stood and whipped around the trees. Akechi was looking off to his left intently, half grinning, half snarling, gun seeking a target.

"Arsene! Eiagon!"

The tree Akechi was using for cover began to wither. Fuck!

Akechi saw him. Akechi began turning.

Ren chucked his machete as he ran forward.

Akechi was raising his weapon, gun aiming towards Ren, setting up the shot. The snarl was turning into an eager grin, then it turned into a look of shock as Akechi's eyes refocused and locked on the flying machete. Akechi's body twisted back behind the tree, the gun coming down, for the moment forgotten, all his attention on the blade. It missed, sailed past, Akechi leaned back out. Starting bring the gun back up. The grin starting to return.

Ren hit the dying tree with his shoulder. It's dessicated roots gave way with a ripping sound. The plant tipped over into Akechi, carrying both of them over the edge and into the air. The tree tumbled against the cliff face, knocking itself aside and slowing while Ren and Akechi collided in the air and continued to fall, leaving the tree tumbling behind and above them.

They fell, bodies twisting in the wind, Ren's entire world was Akechi's snarling face with a rotating background, sometimes the distant sea, sometimes the nearby stone of the mountain side. Akechi tried to bring the gun around. Ren held his wrist.

POP!

They spun.

POP!POP!

Akechi screamed in frustrated rage, his finger convulsing rapidly.

POP!POP!POP!POP!ClickClickClick.

The silver shining roof of the resort was rapidly approaching them, or rather they, it. Ren sensed victory- Akechi either couldn't use his persona, or hadn't figured it out. Ren shoved off from Akechi, creating a tiny bit of distance. Ren thought of how he would survive this fall.

"Arsene!" shouted Ren. Arsene responded to his cognition, wrapping Ren in the protective cocoon of his black wings. But also cutting off Reb's view of Akechi in the final seconds of his vile life. Another iron door, preventing Ren from watching Akechi splat upon the roof of the resort. At least he'd make sure to see the body this time.

Goodbye, asshole.

Then he heard Akechi yell: "Loki!"

Fuck!

Ren and Arsene smashed through the roof of the resort's top level.


	20. Chapter 20

The landing was jarring, but Ren felt uninjured. The black wings of Arsene receded, giving Ren time to recognize the room as the miniature lobby in the resort's top level. The secretary's desk had taken the brunt of his momentum- well, that and the roof. The sign for The Aviary Resort was off kilter on the wall. Dust from Ren's celestial entrance smoked the air.

He picked himself up. Was Akechi alive? He said the name of his persona, but was he successful? After everything up there on the mountain top, couldn't this be over? Ren had a sinking feeling it was not.

Ren stepped into Ito's office, hovering by the door frame. Shido was still here, blankly staring from his wheelchair near the left wall. But Ren's eyes focused on Akechi. The bastard lived. He was on the other side of the room...his persona hovering behind him- and not flickering. Akechi was holding up Ito's giant wooden desk in his hands. Ren stopped. That desk was at least three hundred kilos, but Akechi was holding it like it was nothing. Akechi threw the desk at him.

Ren jumped backwards through the doorway, landing on his back. The flying desk smashed into the door frame, buckling the office wall, shaking the room, then it fell to the floor with a bang. The desk's wide flat surface cutting off Ren's view of Akechi. Ren lay there in shock, breathing heavily in surprise, his mind whirling. Akechi was getting increased strength from his persona- not like the augment, like Futaba's ability; but the basic passive increase that personas granted in the old Metaverse.

How was Akechi doing it? The bastard learned to call his persona literally seconds ago, and he'd already figured out how to do something Ren and the others had not even imagined. They hadn't even thought of the possibility- passive strength? Spells were wonderous enough, but Akechi's brain immediately explored everything. Or was Ren just giving the man too much credit. Akechi's summon was a last minute life-saving attempt that mimicked Ren. So maybe Akechi just cognitized something that the Phantom Thieves didn't think of yet.

"Amamiya! This is amazing!" shouted an extremely excited Akechi. "How is this possible? Nevermind, I don't care! I'm whole again!... No… more than whole..."

Ren shook off his shock. He needed to end Akechi now. Who knows what else the man might figure out. But Ren was currently alone, and he remembered very well that the entire team was necessary to defeat Akechi last time. But the entire team was more or less an hour's hike away atop the mountain. So, Ren needed to figure this out himself, or he would be long dead before even Makoto on her motorcycle could get down here. Futaba could get to him by flying, but she was more a liability than anything. Akechi would target her. Ren wondered if the better option was to escape, but Futaba's Prometheus could not carry passengers.

No. Running away was not an option. This was the chance to end this for good. Maybe he could catch Akechi off-guard with a spell. Ren filled his mind with the idea of Akechi decaying, then shot to his feet from behind the fallen desk. But the spell died on his lips before it was spoken. Akechi was holding up the limp body of his father. Akechi was staring into his father's face with an odd, eager expression.

"Amamiya, look at this man," said Akechi, "Look at this useless, fallen man. I thought I needed him. I've been stuck with him for months! Drugging him, acting like he was giving me orders- all to take the reigns of his network and pilot it myself. No one would follow some kid, and that's all people see when they look at me. A high school kid. As if age alone really made someone better. So I needed my little brain-dead figure-head." Akechi smiled faintly at his father. "But not anymore..."

Akechi abruptly spun, his arm jerking. He savagely threw Shido towards the window wall of Ito's office. The limp man was a rag doll. The glass shattered, blood splattering as Shido's head was slashed by shards of glass as he passed through, and then Shido was falling and out of sight- his life ending without his objection.

Akechi laughed in delight. "But the whole time I didn't need him. I'm a fucking god and I didn't even know it!"

He pointed a finger at Ren. "But you've known for some time, haven't you? And you've done nothing with it? Really? All this power and you look for camera footage and drive around in a van! The lack of imagination is pathetic. You could rule the world with this."

Akechi blinked. Then he smiled viciously. "I can rule the world with this…"

The murderous look was growing on Akechi's face again, his eyes regarding Ren with calculation. Ren wondered if he could keep Akechi talking, and then catch him off guard with a spell. Akechi was arrogant, loved media attention. He couldn't resist talking about himself. Ren could try that, since the so-called Detective Prince was already talking himself up.

"I'm curious," said Ren, "When that door shut and you faked your death in Shido's palace, how did you avoid our tracking system?'

"What?" Akechi blinked, surprised, curious. His eyes flickering back and forth slightly as his detective brain tried to riddle out the question and Ren's reason for asking it. "Tracking? How should I know. I followed you through Okumura's Palace the whole time, and your super nerd never spotted me. I don't know why you guys suck, Amamiya. You figure it out."

Ren sensed a ray of truth in that. Akechi murdered Okumura's shadow and triggered the man's shutdown, and shadows didn't stick around very long after being whipped in battle. So Akechi would have been there for the fight, waiting for the Phantom Thieves to win and walk off, and then bang bang, goodbye Mr. Okumura.

"Why didn't you kill us in Shido's Palace?"

"Why didn't I kill you in Okumura's palace! Do you want to ask that, too? Because I wanted you to change Shido's heart. I wanted you to dance along your merry path because it was fucking convienent."

"What? Why would you want that?"

Akechi looked incredulous. "You think I hadn't explored my father's palace? You think I didn't know what he planned to do with me? That I was surprised that my dad planned to murder me? His biggest liability? Amamiya, your brain must not even work. No. My father, alive but weak, was exactly what I wanted. A bunch of desperate people. A few threats. A few carried-out threats. And I just stood next to my father as he drooled on himself in a chair. My words were his. I became Shido- or at least the best part of him: the network of power he spent his life building. Thanks to you, he had to sit there and watch me take it from him, and then-"

"Arsene! Eigaon!"

Akechi sidestepped with alarming speed. Ren's spell didn't have a projectile, but it must have missed because Akechi showed no ill effect.

"Trying to catch me off guard? Too slow! Try this! Loki! Kougaon!"

Ren dove sideways out of the broken doorway. A golden light shot past him, striking the elevator door soundlessly, but the metal surface burst inward savagely- the sound of crushing metal filled the small room. Ren landed back atop the broken secretary's desk. This was not going well. He needed to match Akechi's passive speed and strength or this was over. How was Akechi doing it? It must be similar to casting spells!

"Ren…" called Akechi, "You still alive in there?"

Ren imagined the broken secretary's desk was actually super light. He tried to lift it. Strained himself. It was super heavy. He imagined the desk already flying through the thin wall to hit Akechi. Ren tried lifting it again. It was still heavy. Ren's mind whirled. That should have worked if it was like spells. But Akechi was also moving faster, almost instinctively. So Akechi must not be creating new cognitions everytime he moved. The ghost of Akechi's persona was hovering behind him constantly, like a shadow.

"Ren…this is lame. I'm going to come in there if you don't come out."

Constantly. Constantly… Constantly strong. Constantly fast. So it had to be like a switch, right? Turn it on, and then you didn't have to think about it. And it must be simple, as Akechi seemed to have realized how to do it almost instantly. During the last seconds of the fall. When Ren was imaging himself surviving the fall, what had Akechi cognitized? Wait. What had Ren cognitized? He'd also summoned a physical form of Arsene. One to wrap him up and protect him from the landing. Wasn't that the same principle that Akechi was displaying now? But Akechi did something different. Who was Akechi? He was someone who loved himself. Loved being on TV. He was the sole hero of his own life. Would not Akechi think that he was too amazing to die by simply falling off a cliff?

Too amazing. Being amazing. The gave Ren an idea. He filled his mind with the cognition that he was Joker, as he'd been Above the Clouds, at the pinnacle of his power. "Arsene…" Ren whispered. He felt a surge of energy shoot through his body. He felt good. Really. Good. He reached for the broken desk. It lifted easily, as if weighing nothing at all.

"Oh, Ren," laughed Akechi suddenly, "You don't know how to-"

Ren threw the desk at the wall between himself and Akechi's voice. Unsupported by a door frame, the drywall exploded outward as the wooden desk flew through it. Ren saw Akechi's surprised eyes, but Akechi stepped aside and watched the desk sail past him. Ren leapt at him, flying through the air with a speed that his cognition made reality.

Akechi was turning his head back towards where he thought Ren was, a smile growing on his face- and then Ren's fist blasted into the side of his head. Akechi flew across the room. Hit the back wall under Mr. Ito's tengu mask, and exploded out of the building into the dimming twilight. Ren stared at the aftermath of his single punch. He was like some sort of anime hero, but in real life.

The surreal feeling of unreality swirled in his mind as he watched Akechi roll to a stop out on the silver roof, then pick himself up, apparently no worse for the experience. Akechi was grinning savagely at him.

Maybe Akechi was right. Maybe they were gods now.

* * *

Makoto stared hard at the two holes in the roof of the resort, two-hundred meters below them. He couldn't be gone. He couldn't be dead. After all of this? No. Ren was too smart. He would have figured out something. Please. Please have figured out something.

"Oh man, no way he survived that fall…"

"Shut up, Ryuji!" said Ann.

They were all of them gazing down at the resort below them. Night was rapidly falling, but their backs were lit up by the forest burning all around the clearing. They were cut off. Stuck up here until the flames went out.

"I could fly down and look," said Futaba.

That was a good idea. Makoto was just about to agree when suddenly a person and a persona burst out of the wall of the resort's boxlike third level. The body rolled to a stop on the silver roof of the second floor. Then it got up. The persona hovered behind it, misty, but not fading away.

"What the hell?" said Ryuji.

"Is that… Akechi?" said Yusuke.

"Tan and white. That's got to be him," said Haru, her voice tense and angry. "And that's his persona for sure. I remember that from Shido's palace."

Akechi fired a blast of gold light back into the building to unknown effect.

"He's shooting at someone," said Ryuji.

Makoto was inundated with relief. Ren. He was shooting at Ren. Ren was alive!

Then alarm and worry crashed down upon her shoulders again. He was shooting at Ren! Ren was facing Akechi alone! It took all of them to bring him down last time!

A darker figure ran out of the hole in the wall Akechi had made. Ren. Arsene was behind him, black wings, red jacket, top hat- an unmistakable persona. Akechi fired gold light again. Ren slid under it, slid on his heels back to his feet and grabbed Akechi's chest. He stuck out one leg, and in a perfect imitation of the move Makoto used on him last night, back kicked Akechi's leg and smashed him into the roof- and Akechi went right through the surface and out of sight. Ren jumped into the hole in pursuit.

The Phantom Thieves stared at the empty roof in stunned silence.

"They're like Dragonball Z now," said Futaba in awe. "How are they doing that?"

Makoto wondered what they'd discovered. Had they learned some new cognition? Did the fear from the fall awaken something in them? It could be anything. If she figured it out, could she get down there? Test a new theory by jumping two hundred meters? No. That was outrageous. Could all of them jump and try to use their personas to survive the fall? No. Even more outrageous. If they got it wrong, they were dead. Send Futaba? And give Ren something he needed to worry about defending? No. Could they cast spells? No, it was out of range. And they were inside the building somewhere.

Damn!

She looked at the blazing forest around them, then back down at the resort. They were spectators! And soon it would be too dark to even see most of the resort. Night was here. The clouds were looming, almost upon them. The smell of rain was in the wind. Makoto felt a few sprinkled drops hit her cheeks. Maybe when it got here in earnest, the fire would die down quickly. But then they were still an hour hike back down. In the dark and in the rain.

Damn!

Damn, Ren!

Sis! Where the hell are you?!

But what could Sae do now anyway? The Phantom Thieves already defeated Shido's men, and Ren was in a duel out of a comic book. For things like this… Makoto realized the Phantom Thieves were like the police and the SIU, all wrapped up together. It didn't matter when Sae got here.

Makoto stared down at the resort roof, wishing she could rip it off and see what was happening to Ren inside.

All that mattered was Ren's survival.

* * *

Ren landed into the second floor suit of the resort. Akechi was already on his feet, dancing back, a smile still on his face. The bastard was having fun, abask in his new found glory. Ren felt new rage surge through him. All the danger. All the death. All the killing. And this fucker looked like he was having the time of his life.

"Why are we doing this, Ren? We don't need to fight. We can just ignore each other."

"Bullshit. Arsene! Eaigon!"

Akechi dodged sideways, but hissed. He raised his hand to his face. His pinky was grey and shriveled looking. Ren's heart fell slightly. That was it? That was all the damage his curses would do? Did Akechi have some sort of resistance?

"Nice one," said Akechi. He laughed. "Yeah, ignoring each other… that would never work, would it? But why not work together? We're gods! Gods! We can do anything we want. We can take anything we want. We can have everything we've ever wanted. There's plenty for both of us!"

"We don't want the same-" Ren began, then Akechi sprung forward into a high kick. Bastard was using his own trick against him! Ren ducked, Akechi's foot sailing over him, then to the ground, and Akechi spun, thrusting his other leg directly into Ren's gut.

"Ooof!" Ren gasped, skidding backward on his feet from the strength of it, his shoes ripping up ruts in the carpet. Akechi came spinning after him, his leading leg again streaking towards Ren's head. Red stepped back this time, and the kick sailed harmlessly by. Akechi stopped his attack and reset himself.

"We don't?" asked Akechi, breathing a little hard, but still smiling. "You don't want to be admired? You don't want money? And good food, and luxury, and beautiful women? Admit it. You want all of those things. "

Ren hated to admit it, but he did want all of those things. Admiration of his friends. Money enough to eat and live comfortably. Food that tasted good.

But he already had all of those things! Ren and the others had the strength of will to take down Kamoshida. By giving his time and his strength, he gained the admiration of Ryuji, Ann, and Morgana. The rest of the team formed in a similar way. Giving time to fix their problems. And Ren gave his time to jobs to get money. And in return, he could buy food that tasted good to him, and just enough luxury to maintain the thing's luxuriousness. (Luxury lost its luster after overexposure- it just became normal and then you'll be chasing the next luxury.) And beautiful women? In Ren's eyes, Makoto surpassed them all. And they were together because he gave himself to her- gave his time, gave his energy, gave his thoughts, gave his love.

Akechi didn't get the giving. Akechi didn't give anything to anyone. That was his problem. Ren feinted a hook punch, then thrust forward with a left straight punch. Akechi batted it aside. Ren kneed him in the gut, Akech bent over from the blow, and Ren punched him in the side of the head. Akechi's face slammed into the floor, wood cracked.

"I do want those things," snarled Ren. Then he bent way backward to avoid a savage uppercut Akechi threw as he got up. Akechi followed the missed uppercut with a wide hook. It was an inviting opening, but Ren stepped back, wary of some ploy to wrap him up.

"Then let's use our power and take them!" said Akechi, breathing harder. Not grinning now, his face was swelling. "We could have it all! Everything!"

"I have it already. You don't need some kind of magical power, moron. What are you saying?"

Akechi bared his teeth, abandoned his fighting stance, and pointing accusingly at Ren. "Maybe you don't! I saw you with your friends. You get to be in your little bed of roses. Surrounded by people who admire you, who enjoy just being around you. When I saw that, I felt so… so... disgusted! I was sick with it! No one should be that fucking lucky! Why you and not me? I didn't even get parents who gave a shit!" Akechi jumped foward, arms swinging. "I thought maybe some of your luck would spread around after I put a fucking bullet in your happy face!"

Punch. Punch. Wiff. Wiff. Akechi was getting mad. His strikes were getting stronger, wider, and slower. He was really trying to throw the game winner, and it was easy for Ren to dodge them. Maybe if Akechi got even madder, it would give Ren the chance to find a counter to finish this.

"That's all this is, isn't it?" Ren said as he caught Akechi with a retreating jab in the nose. "Jealousy! You're a child. You're a little boy with no friends who wants to keep playing Detective Prince on the Tee Vee and get praise from daddy!"

Akechi snarled and surged forward. That was it! Ren threw a straight right punch into Akechi's path, stepping heavily into the blow. Akechi planted his feet abruptly, grabbed Ren's outstretched arm, pulled Ren over his shoulder. Ren's world upright itself and his back slammed into the floor- it buckled under him, wood splintering. Akechi followed it up with a diving punch to Ren's nose, smashing Ren's head back into the floor. Ren's vision rippled in waves of grey and white static. Fuck. That was a mistake.

But Ren got his hands up, softened the next punch, grabbed at Akechi's hand. Akechi wrenched his fist away and then punched downward again. Ren turned it, grabbed it, popped his hips up to wrap Akechi's arm with his legs. He wrenched his bodyweight over, using his ankles to drive Akechi's face to the ground. Akechi scrambled, fighting against the grip of Ren's armlock.

"And It's not luck. It's hard work," grunted Ren as he fought to keep Akechi under control. "You just don't fucking get it. You don't get that you have to give before you get. But you just take. You see what you want and plan how to take it. How to take fame. How to take your revenge. You give nothing, and that's why you have nothing. Some new magical ability isn't going to change that, asshole."

"Fuck you, Amamiya!" Akechi's struggles increased.

Ren realized something was wrong with his hold on Akechi- he'd seen Makoto practice this move, but he must have missed something- Akechi's joint was able to easily take all the pull he could put on it- Ren wasn't even hurting the bastard. And Akechi was getting loose.

Ren abandoned the hold and kicked Akechi in the side of the face. Akechi's head shot away from Ren's foot, dragging his body with it, he twirled like a propeller slightly, then crashed through the room's television.

Ren regained his feet. "Haven't you noticed that most people have what you want already? Didn't you notice that none of them have special powers? You didn't. Because for all your intellect, you can't figure out the most basic thing. Give to get! You're too stupid to figure it out!"

Akechi was pulling himself back to his hands and knees, then curling his feet under him. Eyes blazing. "We'll see who's stupid when you're fucking dead!"

Akechi sprung at Ren like a frog, catching Ren off guard. Akechi's hands grasped on Ren's neck and tightened like a steel vise.

"Urk," said Ren.

"I have to give, huh? What you gonna give, Amamiya? What are you gonna give the world now?"

For a split second, Ren moved to break the grip. Then his instinct switched. Akechi's neck was in reach, too. Ren didn't need to breathe if he could just kill Akechi first. Ren's own hands snapped on Akechi's neck.

"Guh," said Akechi.

Then Ren headbutted Akechi in the bridge of the nose. Bone snapped. Akechi's head shot back, his grip breaking on Ren's neck. Ren gasped in air.

"I'll give everyone a world without you!"

Then Akechi's vice-like fingers latched back on again. Akechi attempted a headbutt of his own, but Ren was expecting it, and met it head on. Their skulls cracked together, neither losing their grip on the other's throat. It turned into a shoving match, like two male elk pushing their foreheads into the other. Both men's eyes wide, inundated with bloodlust, mouths open in silent yells that the clasping, choking hands of the enemy prevented from gaining voice.

Their hair stood on end. The dust and rubble from their fall through the ceiling started vibrating away from them on the ground. The air around them began to glow white and hot, though neither paid it any mind. Both felt the power growing, and both brought all their will and focus onto a single sincere cognition that the other would just. Fucking. DIE!

* * *

Acting SIU-Director Niijima Sae's headlights didn't cut very far through the rain. Matsuzaki was getting drenched by this out-of-season monsoon, and it was making their frantic chase of Shido's traitors extremely complicated. Masahiro Seito, her contact in the National Police, tried to coordinate his forces on his phone from the passenger seat. He was instructing his team.

"They're getting whatever they are here for and then they are going to leave, maybe by road, maybe by boat- JMSDF is on the way for that. But we need to secure the roads. Get with this town's local police and coordinate roadblocks on highways 136, 121, and 115. Have them check every-... What do you mean they're busy? We have priority-... a forest fire? This fucking town is under a waterfall right now! What fire?"

Sae grimaced. More delays. This entire day. Delay. Delay. Delay. So many officers off work and at home. So long to bring them back in. The motor pool empty. So long to get the vehicles back they needed. Most of them low on gas. People in Shido's organization set this up weeks ago. Approved leave for everyone. Ignored refuel orders. Allowed officers to take vehicles home for the weekend. Booby trapped the entire fucking infrastructure with a masterwork of logistical fuck ups.

"Good," said Seito finally sighed in relief and victory. "No, it will be a bunch of state vehicles together. They probably won't split up. Call the precincts of Shimoda and Izu- give them information on the traitors and order them to get their officers on the highways."

A searing light flashed in the sky- Sae instinctually flinched away from it and hit the brakes- her car jerking to a stop.

"What the hell?" said Seito.

The light dimmed slightly as the explosion's energy traveled upward, the illumination revealed a large building on the mountainside above them. Flying debris from the structure cast eerie moving shadows into the clouds further up in the sky. Then the light faded and the entire mountain was again enshrouded in darkness and rain.

"That's where they are," said Sae, "Send your men there, Seito. The traitors are there."

Seito put his phone to his ear again. "Did you see that light? Yeah, get the special assault teams up there. Lots of them."

* * *

Ren's eyes opened on a dark sky- then they blinked reflexively as raindrops he couldn't see peppered them from above. He rolled over in the rain, already drenched, and stood, finding himself on the long, broad silvered roof of the resort's first level. For having just been involved in an explosion, Ren felt good. Really good. Refreshed. Just like he'd felt in the final moments of Above The Clouds. He was smiling. Ren and Arsene were no longer alone. The Other was with them now.

Akechi stood up nearby. He was smiling, too. Lightning flashed in the clouds above both men, briefly illuminating two titanic figures. Above Akechi hovered an angular construct, made of diamond shaped parts, four spidery arms curling out from its back, a massive hole in the center of what passed for the titan's head. Above Ren, a burly, horned humanoid in blue, arms bulging with obvious power, six black wings like shadows, three to each side.

"This feels familiar, Trickster!" shouted Akechi above the roar of the rain. "I feel like we've been here before, but I know I haven't! Do you feel the same way?!"

"No! I remember this!"

"What happened!?"

"I killed you!"

Ren walked forward toward Akechi. Akechi withdrew a knife from his jacket and walked forward towards Ren. In the clouds, the two gods walked towards one another, the spidery god materializing a knife in one spidery arm. They collided and the sky shook with thunder. Blows were traded. Jaws of both men tight with intense concentration. This was it. They both felt it. Words were done. It was time for death.

* * *

The Phantom Thieves stood on the cliff in the pouring rain, the light wind buffeting them with sheets of water. The fire in the forest was dead under the deluge, yet they were captivated by the battle before them. It was too dark to see the roof of the resort, but lightning arced intermittently through the cloud banks, illuminating in brief glimpses the clash of gods.

Makoto shook herself from her captivation. It was the same. It was just like Above the Clouds. She didn't know why this was happening, but it didn't matter. They needed to win again, or Ren would die. She turned to the group. "Everyone! We need to help. Like before! Hit that thing! Blast it down!"

Everyone startled. Glanced at Makoto, then looked back into the sky. They opened their mouths to yell their attacks.

"Anat! Varja Blast!" Makoto yelled with them, and their spells shot out, but the weather defeated them. Nothing seemed to reach the spider-limbed god, and the battle raged on without their participation. They were ants on an anthill. Bystanders.

Ren's black-winged daemon drove the spider construct back with a solid strike of a giant fist. The spider steaded itself, then gathered its arms together, generating a growing ball of energy that blazed brighter by the instant. Makoto remembered this!

"Don't look at it! Turn around! Turn around!" she screamed.

She turned and covered her face with a rain-wet arm.

KOOM!

The inside of Makoto's eyelids turned pinkish red, like they did when she looked at the sun with her eyes closed.

* * *

Sae Niijima turned her wheel angrily. The road up to the resort was crammed with fire engines- men were working to collect their hoses and gear in the drenching rain. She raised her hand to honk her horn at some firemen walking slowly across the road. But she held off. She may need all the goodwill she could get around here. Besides, the special tactics teams were still on the road, too. Just a few vehicles in front of them.

Suddenly a white light flashed in the sky above the forest canopy, brightening the inside of the car like it was daylight.

KOOM.

"Holy shit," said Seito, craning his neck to look out the passenger window and see the sky. "Biggest fucking lightning bolt I ever seen in my life. Must have gone right over us."

* * *

Ren felt himself burning, flying, then he crashed into the roof headfirst, neck jamming painfully down into his shoulders. His world went fuzzy, his breath left him, he tumbled a few times before his momentum was finally spent. Ren was face down in the cold rainwater, and it actually felt refreshing on his toasted skin. But what was he doing? Get up! Get the fuck up! The Other inside him screamed for him to get up. Ren's mind was willing, but his body was sluggish in its response. He managed to lift his head. A dead man in a grey suit lay before him. It was one of the men Morgana had blown off the top of the cliff in their earlier battle. Lightning flashed in the monsoon clouds above, illuminating a tell tale bulge in the man's sock. An ankle holster. A gun!

Ren felt a surge of hope. But before he could even think to reach, to move, to stand back up, Ren felt Akechi's knees strike his back, the sudden weight of his enemy's body weight driving out his wind again. Hard, strong fingers pulled his head back, exposing his neck, the silver of a blade in the bottom corner of Ren's vision. It was over. This was past gloating. Past last words. Ren felt his neck tear open in a slice of searing pain. Warm liquid burst out from his throat. Akechi grunted in satisfaction, then slammed Ren's face into the roof of the resort, and for a brief moment, the world was white light and Ren forgot he'd just had his throat slit. Then it came back, and he brought his hands to his neck to stem the bleeding as much as he could- more an instinctual reaction than anything.

Akechi laughed from above and behind him. His weight still on Ren's back. "That's right, attic trash. Try to hold it in. Try, try, try. But don't forget to think about what I'm going to do to the others after you die." Akechi's breath was suddenly hot in Ren's ear. "I'll spend a lot of time with the young Niijima."

Despite himself, Ren did think about that. Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! He trashed his hips, but it was useless. Akechi was secure atop him. His blood continued to drain. He could already feel his strength going- his mind fogging. Dread, despair, fear leaked from his mind as richly as the blood from his cut neck.

* * *

Up on the cliff, the Phantom Thieves looked back upon the battle in dismay. The blast of the spider god cleared some of the sky. A full moon glowed down upon the local area, a storm's eye amidst the boiling clouds. The roof of the resort shone silver in the moonlight, yet there was debris and bodies scattered over it, so it was unclear which dark shapes were Ren and Akechi. But the titanic personas were plain as day in the sky before them. Tension mounted palpably as the spidery Yaldaboath stalked the fallen minotaur, Satananel. It leaping upon Ren's black winged god, it's spidery knife arm curling forward.

Makoto watched Yaldabaoth's knife arm jerk backwards, the head of Satanael jerking with the force of the pull.

Makoto's mind went blank. She could think of nothing. Her brain presented her with no plan, no solution. Unused to the sensation, Makoto went limp and fell to her knees. Then finally, unhelpfully, her brain told her she'd just watched Ren die.

Her breath gave out. She vaguely heard the verbal reactions of the others as they each came to realize what just happened. Despair rolled up her throat, catching there tightly, constricting it, making it hard to breathe. Images of Ren's face passed through her head. Ren smiling. Ren laughing. Ren bored. Ren watching a movie. Reading a book. Ren in bed. Ren asleep. Ren concerned. Ren neutral. Ren looking at her with that intent interest; his grey gaze looking into her, seeing into her, like no one else ever did.

Makoto's blurry eyes focused on the hulking spider form of Yaldaboath. The despair pooling in her ignited like gasoline, hot rage seared through her consciousness. She screamed, not registering what she screamed, but her throat belted out words, and they joined the chorus of her friends around her. All of them venting their fury at the distant figure in the sky.

Personas ghosted to life, projectiles shot out. But Ryuji's lightning diffused in the wet air. Ann's fire was quenched by the rain. Yusuke's ice gathered mass from the moisture around it, lost velocity, sank. Haru's tracer rounds also sank under the rain and wind. Morgana's gust of wind was just another gust of wind in a windstorm.

But Makoto's neon blue energy shot out, undeterred, blazing through the night sky, vaporizing the rain as it passed with hissing crackling. It blasted into the side of Yaldabaoth with a bright explosion. The gloating deity reeled from the force of it.

* * *

Ren heard Akechi scream in pain and the weight on his back lifted. He didn't know what happened, but he didn't care. His mind was on one thing. Ren let go of his own neck to pull himself to the nearby corpse. He reached into the man's sock, unlatched a strap, pulled out the little snub-nosed revolver, rolled over, and aimed at Akechi, who was trying to put out some kind of blue fire on his clothing.

In the sky, Satanael rolled over and pulled out a very large gun, aimed.

KOOM!

Lightning danced through the clouds.

Akechi's head exploded open. Akechi remained upright for a brief moment, a tiny, faceless imitation of his faceless deity above him. Then Akechi's body fell limply to the roof. Red streams of rain-washed blood quickly spreading outward from his ruined face like a spiderweb.

Ren gasped, putting one hand back on his throat. A surge of blood came out between his fingers. Akechi sure seemed dead. But Ren had to make sure. No more rematches. No more cycles. No more games. He regained his feet unsteadily. Pointed the pistol at Akechi's limp body, and unloaded the rest of the cylinder.

Satanael did the same, looming over the reclining form of Akechi's god.

KOOM KOOM KOOM KOOM KOOM!

The world echoed with the cacophony, clouds flashing. Akechi's body bounced and twiched, new holes and wounds erupting from his torso. In the sky, the smoking ruins of Yaldabaoth disintegrated under the onslaught.

The thunder faded away, but Ren's fingers continued to convulsively pull the trigger.

Click Click Click Click

The gods were gone. The sky empty. Only the thick, misty clouds of the monsoon moved up there now, slowly concealing the moon, dropping their cargo of rain hissing to the earth. Thunder rumbled again, mutedly in the distance, the storm moving onward, leaving behind the place where lightning so recently danced. Rain fell quietly into the ruined meat that once was Akechi Goro, the mixing of water and blood the only corruption it could now achieve.

Ren let the gun drop to the ground, not because it was empty, but because it was too heavy. He dropped his other arm, too. It was tired. He vaguely felt a new hot stream of liquid run down his throat and into his clothing. He staggered. Then he was facedown in the rainwater again, unclear how he got there. He turned his head and watched rain droplets splash into the streams of water already running across the silver tiles. Blood mixing with water on a shining surface.

A sudden gust of wind blew the water about. It was very cold, but he didn't shiver. Something in the dark made a thump onto the resort's roof. Perhaps debris falling, Ren mused- his consciousness drifting.

Ren felt satisfaction. His friends were safe. Everyone was safe.

He saw his parents. Then his friends. Then he saw Makoto walking ahead of him, on the street of Matzusaki. He said he would see a movie with her. Makoto turned and briefly showed a rare, full-toothed smile at him, then twirled back around with a slight skip in her step, short-skirt swirling above her habitual leggings. And then everything started to grow dark.

Ren felt regret.

He would really have liked to live.

Then Ren felt nothing at all.


	21. Chapter 21

Ren's eyes snapped open. The rain was lighter, so the streams of water over the roof tiles were smaller. The wind was quiet. He wasn't as cold as before. It was still dark, though.

Fear then shot through him again and his hands went to his neck. It was whole. No wound. Someone healed him. He started to get up, and he noticed there was a weight on his back. He craned his head, unable to see what it was, then turned over, and the thing slipped off of him and tumbled softly to the roof tiles. Ren pushed himself up to his knees and looked at the thing. It was a smallish black shape, undefined in the darkness. Ren touched it. It felt like wet fur. Morgana!

He picked up the soggy animal. "Morgana! Morgana! Hey!"

The cat did not stir. Ren ran his hands over Morgana's body. He felt a heartbeat, though it was soft. And Morgana seemed to be shivering. Ren pulled up his shirt and pressed Morgana to his chest, holding him there under his own wet clothes, figuring it was more warmth than nothing. He needed to get them out of the rain.

He looked along the roof's length and the most obvious way back into the resort, the second floor suites, were simply gone. The jagged remains of their walls did not promise a smooth descent to the first floor. But nearby, a tree trunk was sticking drunkenly out of the resort roof. It must be the one Ren knocked into Akechi back on the cliff. The hole it made, and the angle of the trunk, made for a somewhat convenient ramp into the first level of the resort. Light was pouring out onto the roof from below. Ren headed for it, set his rump on the tree, and used his legs to pull himself down its length into the resort, dragging himself uncomfortably over branches of all shapes and sizes. He kept both arms wrapped about the still form of Morgana.

As soon as his feet hit soggy carpet in the resort, Ren was confronted by a submachine gun, held by a masked man dressed in black. The characters for police were large and white on his uniform.

"Hold there, kid. What are you doing here?"

"This is my hotel."

"You are staying here?"

"Yes."

Another masked policeman arrived. "Who's this?"

"I dunno. Some kid, obviously. Says he was staying here."

"Good. Another witness. Come with us, kid."

"No, I need to get some help for my cat."

"What? Your cat?"

"Yes, he's injured. I need to take him to a vet."

"You can do that later. We need to talk to you first."

Ren felt anger flow through him. "No. I'm going to fucking do it now."

"What did you say?"

"I said fuck you. I'm going."

"You don't get it, kid. We're National Police. And right now, you're being detained for questioning. You want to be arrested instead?"

Ren didn't respond and moved to walk past the policeman, who promptly tackled him to the ground. Ren frantically turned on his side to avoid crushing Morgana. "You bastards! Let me go!"

"What's in his arms?"

"What's in your arms, kid?"

Ren's arms were snatched away and Morgana tumbled out of his shirt.

"Well, fuck me. It is a cat."

Ren stared for a moment at Morgana's limp form on the wet carpet. His earlier frustration blazing into a burning rage.

"I fucking told you!"

Ren struggled against the policeman holding him to the ground. He felt Arsene hover at the edge of his consciousness. He envisioned these policemen rotting away. Falling to the ground dead. His mouth opened to cast a spell.

Wait.

What am I doing?

Ren shut his mouth. Goosebumps going wild over his body. He'd been two words away from killing these people. Out of habit. Out of today's habit. Because he could. It was easy. It was far too easy.

Ren shivered uncontrollably as they handcuffed him. "My cat. Bring my cat."

"Yeah, we'll bring the fucking animal, kid. Shut up."

* * *

Ren sat in the dim light of a nondescript interrogation room. Windowless. Artlessly constructed of hollow block walls and bare concrete floor. The arresting officers had brought him here, chained his cuffs to the table itself, and left. He'd asked them why he was here, but they only said that he was a suspect and someone would come with questions. That was maybe four hours ago. Ren simmered in the silence; worried about Morgana, worried about everyone.

Maybe he should be enraged to be locked in here like a criminal again. But Ren wasn't. He wasn't sure of himself. He felt guilt, sorrow, relief, and giddiness all at once. But none of it felt like victory. They'd won. Akechi was gone for good. But there were literal piles of dead bodies up on that mountain, and it was his choices that lead to their creation. And his friends had helped him do it- and the day was so hectic, so knife's-edge the entire time, there wasn't even a unanimous vote for him to hide behind. He could only look to himself and his so-called leadership.

And then he'd almost killed two more people. Innocent people. Real police. It had been close. Scary close.

The door to the interrogation room opened. A tall, lithe woman entered. She wore a black pantsuit. Her hair was platinum silver and her eyes were deep crimson. A look of professional seriousness was on her face.

"You had to resist arrest?" said Niijima Sae.

"Where's my cat?" said Ren, a twinge of anger in his voice.

"It's fine, Mr. Amamiya. Calm down. I detailed a local squad car to take your animal to a veterinary clinic. Your cat is evidence in a major case, after all- and I'm obligated to preserve all evidence."

"And?"

"And it's tired."

"Tried?"

"Yes, very tired. The vet was confident that rest, food, and water are all that will be required."

"And everyone else?"

"They're fine. Firefighters found them in the woods a few hours ago. Apparently, they were out hiking and were caught in the forest fire. They are lucky to be alive- especially when so many of Shido's men appear to have been caught in the flames."

Niijima Sae walked to the corner of the room, reached up, unplugged the security camera.

"A perk of the position," she said as she turned back and moved to take her seat across the table from Ren, "I decide what is confidential."

She sat down in front of Ren, regarding him intently. "You really made this a pain in my ass, you know? If you'd just come in quietly, I could have had all of you out of here three hours ago. Instead, you now need to be interrogated, and obviously, I need to be the one to do it. Sorry it took me so long to get to you."

They stared at one another across the grey desk.

"Ms. Niijima," said Ren. "This feels familiar."

"Yes, it does. But, I don't really need to ask you any questions, this time, Mr. Amamiya. I've spoken at length with Makoto and I believe I have a handle on tonight's events. The real events. Though my investigative team is another story." Her eyes remained steady on him, seeming to invite conversation.

"Do you know what they are thinking?" asked Ren.

Sae looked at Ren intently, seemed to debate with herself, then said: "The running theory is that Shido's men fractured over the stress of pursuit from NATPOL and their individual greed. They killed Shido, then each other. It's a common enough end to criminal organizations: a battle to the death over the scraps. Based on what I've heard, my investigators are already enamored with the theory and are actively interpreting the evidence towards that conclusion."

"You're influencing them?"

"Don't be absurd. No. They are doing it to themselves. The idea that seven high-schoolers and a cat could defeat Shido's men in a gun battle on a mountaintop… They will look at the evidence and see what they expect to see."

Ren considered that. It made sense. "But the bodies? Some of the dead are-"

"Victims of biological weapons. Apparently Shido's faction had access to some strange toys."

Ren didn't know what to say to that, but he supposed an investigator wouldn't conclude "magic spell" as a means of death.

"What about Akechi?"

"A tragedy. Apparently, Akechi Goro was missing all this time because he was secretly investigating Shido's network. But, he was discovered and murdered on the resort roof by Shido's men in a savage execution. A heroic death for the Detective Prince. He was an ally of justice to the end."

Ren felt fury surge up inside him, "What!?" He tried to stand up in outrage, but his chained wrists pulled him back down.

Sae's face was impassive. "Yes. We have the murder weapon, we think. But due to the rain and standing water on the roof, forensics told me there is no real hope of getting prints. So which of Shido's dead men pulled the trigger will forever be a mystery." Niijima Sae's crimson eyes bored into him. Telling him to listen. "Do you have some other theory as to why Akechi Goro was here and who killed him? Is there some other suspect we should be looking at?"

Ren's anger faltered. He considered that: Police found him in the hotel. Saw him climb down from the broken roof. He would be the only other suspect. The rage left him. Well- if Akechi had to be remembered a hero, so be it.

Niijima Sae watched him calm, then sighed and looked at her watch. "Since my interrogation will reveal that you were just an unlucky bystander to such tragic violence, you'll be free to go soon enough. I just need to spend enough time with you to make it seem like I'm doing my due diligence."

Her crimson eyes flickered back to his. A look of calculation glimmered there, and for a moment, Ren saw in obvious detail the sisterly resemblance between Sae and Makoto. But whereas Makoto looked intense when she calculated, Sae looked intimidating- as if her calculation was regarding how to break him and she was now just deciding on the time to launch the attack.

"Since we have time," said Sae. "Tell me…"

Ren waited for the question.

"What is the extent of your relationship with my little sister?"

Ren's breath caught. Seriously? In this situation? Was that a priority? Ren lifted his handcuffed wrists and they jerked quietly against the chain keeping him secured to the interrogation table.

"Can you undo the cuffs?"

Sae leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. Eyes narrowing.

"Answer the question."

* * *

The door into the lobby opened and revealed Ren's friends clustered around a cushioned bench in the hallway. Gloomy faces turned his direction, then bloomed into smiles and sparkling eyes. The sight touched Ren to his core, a warmth glowing within him- to have these amazing people react like that just from the sight of him; He felt like the wealthiest man in the world- flush with the currency that one could never spend, but which purchased happiness.

"Ren!" was the chorus.

Ren's eyes flicked around everyone and he smiled. Then his eyes settled on Makoto's face, which glowed with relief and happiness, her crimson eyes shining brightly in the lobby light. She took a single step forward, but Ann and Futaba were already leaping at Ren. The two mercurial ladies having transitioned from low worry to high joy so fast their circuits were overloading, causing them to tear up. Ren stopped as the two women rushed him. He'd been through this before. Those two just didn't have the same reins on their emotions as the others did. He braced himself. They plowed into him- it was like standing against the ocean surf.

Ann hugged him tightly and then stepped back, wiping her eyes, "I'm so- glad." She finally managed to get out.

Futaba buried her face in Ren's side and said nothing.

The others approached at a more reasonable indoor speed. Haru replaced Ann's position and took her own hug, eyes sparkling. "You know, Morgana saved me kinda the same way. That wind-landing maneuver of his is a really useful trick."

"What?"

"Oh, you didn't see? He leapt off the cliff as soon as it seemed like the fight was over. Scared us all half-to-death before I realized what he was planning. Well- he'll tell you all about it himself, I'm sure."

Ren looked up from Haru and Ryuji reached over for a fist bump. "Hell yeah."

Yusuke watched the process. He was holding a cat carrier in one hand. Ren offered his fist to Yusuke. The tall man looked at it, smiled softly, than accepted. They bumped fists. "The fist of triumph," said Yusuke, "Well deserved."

"By us all," finished Ren.

Makoto stepped forward, and Futaba finally let go her own grip to step back and watch. Center of attention now, Makoto blushed and hesitated. Then her face gained a determined cast, and she stepped forward towards Ren. Taking the cue, he wrapped her into a hug and she buried her blushing face into his chest.

"When Sae told me you were alive," she said in the halting voice of someone holding back tears, "It was like waking up from a nightmare. You know? When all the terror melts away because you realize it wasn't real."

"Yeah, I know what you mean."

But then the internal time limit of Makoto's public display of affection ran out, and she backed away from him. Ren's eyes shifted to the cat carrier in Yusuke's arm.

"How is Morgana?"

"Sleeping," said Ann.

Ren stepped forward to see inside the carrier. Morgana was curled up in a ball, but one blue cat eye opened and looked at him, it's vertical iris focusing in on Ren's face.

"Ren," said Morgana's weak voice.

Ren put his face close to the cat carrier. "Thanks for bringing me back."

The cat eye blinked slowly, tiredly.

"I require fatty tuna. Doctor's orders."

Ren smiled. That was a sure sign Morgana was just fine.

"Well, it's nearly midnight," said Sae as she joined them in the lobby, standing before them all with hands on her hips. "Sorry to say, but the resort is closed. It's a crime scene. And every room in town is booked. But I won't be sleeping, so you all can use my room. I requested enough extra futons, and there is enough floor space to accommodate you for one night. Just use the hotel yukatas for now, I'll have you things brought to you in the morning."

A murmur of thanks and appreciations came from the group.

"Head outside. The van is already waiting to take you there."

The group turned and walked towards the front door. Makoto, Ren, and Sae lagged behind.

"Thanks, sis," said Makoto.

Sae looked at Makoto with an expression that Ren couldn't read. An appraising look, perhaps? Pride? Satisfaction? Ren wasn't sure. Then Sae said: "Makoto, bring Mr. Amamiya to more dinners at home. The Niijima table has lacked good men for too long."

Makoto gave her sister a surprised and confused look, mixed with a blush. "Umm… Oh- okay." Her crimson eyes flicked to Ren's. Ren put on an innocent expression.

"Well, goodnight, sis."

"Goodnight. I'll try to see you in the morning."

Niijima Sae returned through the lobby doors to the interior of the police building. Makoto and Ren turned and followed the others outside.

"What did you talk about in there?" said Makoto.

"You."

"What?"

"She asked me about us."

"What did you tell her?"

"Basically, what I told you the first night in the resort.'

"Ren, but that sounds like-..."

"I know what it sounds like."

"Oh. And you told Sae?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't I tell her the truth? She asked."

"I see..." Makoto trailed off. Her smiling cheeks a bright, blushing red.

* * *

With a police driver, they were not free to talk, but the events of the day were oppressive enough. Conversation was sparse amongst the Phantom Thieves for the short drive across town. Coincidentally, Sae's room appeared to be in the same hotel where they spent their first night.

The Phantom Thieves took Niijima Sae's key to the room, and found the promised futons and yukatas. It was the only change of clothing any of them had, as their personal effects were all up on the mountain. But fatigue was heavy on all. they each gathered their robes, went to the shared bath, and took care of business. On the men's side, conversation remained light. Ren, Ryuji, and Yusuke all more or less occupied within their own minds, sparing only a few words about nothing.

Ren was the first to finish and return to the room. He selected a futon at random, his eyes heavy, he slid into it and sighed. Drifting off to sleep almost immediately. The others filtered in one by one and did the same. The mixture of relief, past stress, and trauma proving a powerful soporific.

But in the quiet of the night, in the midst of dreams and restful oblivion, they all moved, unaware and asleep. Makoto rolled onto her side, scooted over, placed an arm over Ren's chest, her head nuzzling into his side under the shoulder. Morgana was already sleeping on Ren's torso, curled into a feline ball. Ann tossed and her wrist fell atop one of Ren's outstretched arms. Yusuke managed to rotate, the top of his head near the top of Ren's, their hair touching. On the opposite side, Ryuji was sprawled out over a large area of the floor with one of his ankles over one of Ren's ankles. Haru was near Ryuji, rolled over in a graceful side-sleeper's pose, but the toes of one of her feet were pressed into the outside of Ren's lower thigh. Futaba was flat on her back, both calves resting to each side of Ren's other knee.

And so the Phantom Thieves slumbered contentedly as one.

* * *

They slept late. Awakened in the late morning by a member of the hotel staff informing them that some policemen brought their luggage. They collected these items, then filtered off to bathe and dress at their own speed. The hotel was full of police and government workers, all members of Sae's investigative team, or of the National Police. The walls were relatively thin. This maintained the relative silence amongst the team, none of them eager to speak about the events of yesterday. Even Ryuji was tight-lipped, uneasy by the sheer number of badges all around him.

Ren waited for the others in the lobby. Haru was calling in a limousine. She decided this was good enough reason to flex her financial muscle and get them out of this town. Ren listened idly to the morning news while he waited. Someone was watching it in the small breakfast room.

"Initial information from the National Police seems to indicate that the rogue faction of Masayoshi Shido fractured under internal pressure near the seaside city of Matsuzaki. Acting SIU-director Niijima Sae held a brief news conference there this morning."

Ren turned to look at the TV. Niijima Sae looked striking, as usual, but clear lines of fatigue were evident under her crimson eyes. She stared down a pool of microphones with a no-nonsense look.

"I am not at liberty to discuss in detail an ongoing investigation, but it does appear that, last night in the hills above Matsuzaki, the Shido faction destroyed itself in an internal power struggle."

"Ms. Niijima! What about the rumors of Akechi Goro? Was he somehow involved?"

"The body of Mr. Akechi was found, yes. Initial findings seem to indicate that he may have been investigating Shido on his own, and we believe he was killed in a manner that seems to resemble an execution."

"What was he investigating, Ms. Niijima?"

"I don't have that information. I don't have anything else to say about Akechi Goro at this stage. The investigation will need to continue. Is there another question?"

"Is Mr. Shido alive, Ms. Niijima?"

"No, his body was found on the hillside below a mountain resort. As far as we are aware, he was physically incapable of getting there himself. It is our current theory that he was a victim of his faction's disintegration."

"Ms. Niijima! What about rumors of strange figures in storm clouds? Many people in Matsuzaki reported seeing strange shapes in the sky last night."

"If you are asking me about what some people think they saw in a lightning storm, then you are all obviously out of real questions. This conference is over. Your networks will be duly appraised of our progress."

"Wait! Ms. Niijima! Ms. Niijima!"

Whomever was controlling the TV then switched the channel. It appeared to be some sort of local news program.

"Wowy zowy! Did you all see the storm last night? The lightning was intense!"

"Yes, it was. My dogs were freaking out all night!"

"Fun fact: That was the earliest and most intense monsoon Matsuzaki has ever experienced in recorded history. Almost three months early, and dropping a whopping 100 millimeters of rain in two hours!"

"That's amazing! Was there any flooding?"

"No, it looks like we got lucky this time. And speaking of lucky, the Matsuzaki High baseball team has a lucky seed in the Spring tournament this year. Lets go to Mr. Hanada for local sports!"

The limousine arrived. They loaded their things.

"Sae sends her apologies," said Makoto, "Apparently, the press conference was unexpected and delayed her this morning. She wishes us a safe journey. And to do better at staying under the radar."

Still uncharacteristically quiet, they all loaded into the vehicle and it drove them away from Matsuzaki. As they entered the toll road, Ren's mind drifted to the fate of his friends. Ren worried for them. The battle of the mountain top was sure to have changed them all, for good, or ill, or both. The extent of any damage might take a while to appear. How would the blood and the killing weigh upon them? Would it change them? They'd seen violence in the Metaverse, but yesterday was something else entirely. Their human opponents made it somehow more real. Heavier.

Ren looked around the limousine. His friends were gloomy, each of them looking out a window, eyes glazed, seeing something other than what was in front of them. Perhaps the battle last night. Perhaps something else entirely. Ren didn't know. Couldn't know. Not until he had a chance to speak with all of them. Find out what was going on inside.

And what about himself? He'd killed several people yesterday. He could see their faces in his mind when he thought about it. Any time he used his persona abilities, he would see their shock, their fear, and their… change of color. He shuddered. He didn't like the memory. And then there were the two honest policemen he'd almost killed on a whim. Ren was now scared of what he could do with just two words.

He could also see Akechi's head popping open, over and over. Strangely… that one didn't bother him as much. It almost made him feel better. Relieved. And THAT worried him. It wasn't too far from enjoying killing, was it? And from there, what else might he be capable of-

Ren's train of thought derailed as he felt a smooth hand close on his. He looked down. Makoto's hand. He looked up. Her crimson eyes were looking at him intently. A soft smile was on her face.

"Ren. We made it."

Right. They made it. They were all alive. Their enemies were not. Ren took in a big breath of air and let it go softly, blowing out his doubts and worries. He smiled at Makoto. She always knew. She understood. This woman was amazing.

Then Ren experienced a flash of memory: of the chromatic fading of Shibuya Square, and of Morgana's voice:

_Even if you feel that only darkness lies ahead… As long as you hold hands together… See through it as one… the world will never end!_

Ren regarded his friends again and their gloomy faces. He didn't need to burrow himself down into a well of self-doubt. It was time to fix this weird silence that was hanging over them since late last night. Start there. Then worry about everything else later.

"Anyone want ramen?" said Ren.

Ryuji's head jerked around, a smile exploding onto his face. "Hell yeah!"

Smiles sprung up throughout the limousine. Affirmative statements chasing away the cloud of silence.

"I'll look for a good one online!" said Futaba.

"Driver!" called Haru.

"Yes, Ms. Okumura?"

"We would like to stop for ramen soon. We'll let you know the place when we find it."

"Very good, Ms. Okumura."

"Ramen!" complained Morgana. "What about sushi?"

"I'll give you all the fatty bits from my pork bowl," said Ren.

Morgana's ears perked up. His tail flicked. He did enjoy fatty pork. "Fine. I suppose that will do for now."

And the limousine carried them all away from the sea and mountain of Matsuzaki- enroute to Ren's hometown once again.

And a ramen shop with at least a four-and-a half star rating.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Thank you for reading.

I wrote this story because I was not ready to say goodbye to the Phantom Thieves after Persona 5, and I thought others might feel the same way.

I hope it satisfied.


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